ReceptnaptárPesto alla genovese
Genoese pesto is the green gold of Liguria: fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil, pounded in a mortar. Real pesto is silky, bright green and fragrant. Served with freshly cooked pasta, especially trofie or trenette, it's one of the great experiences of Italian cooking.
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Ingredients
Method
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- Crush the garlic with the salt to a paste in a mortar, add the basil leaves and pound in circular motions until the leaves release their juice.
- Add the pine nuts and pound until creamy.
- Stir in the cheeses, then gradually the olive oil, until you have a smooth, thick pesto. (In a food processor, work in short pulses with a chilled blade so the basil doesn't heat up.)
- Cook the pasta (and, if using, the diced potato and green beans) al dente in plenty of salted water; keep 100 ml of the cooking water.
- Put the drained pasta in a bowl, add the pesto and 3-4 tbsp of cooking water, and toss quickly.
- Serve immediately with a little extra Parmesan.
A Receptnaptár original recipe. Calories and protein are estimated.
Tips
- Never cook pesto: heat makes the basil bitter and turns it brown; add it to the hot pasta at serving.
- If you use a food processor, put the blade and bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes first so the basil doesn't oxidise.
- Leftover pesto, covered with a layer of oil, keeps in the fridge for 5 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a walnut pesto?
You can use walnuts or almonds instead of pine nuts, but it's not the original Genoese version.
Is it vegan?
Leave out the cheese and add nutritional yeast, and you get a vegan pesto.
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- Pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas)
- Pasta e fagioli (pasta and white bean soup)
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