This delicious pasta sauce is almost a symbol of Genoa, the Ligurian city where it originated. Simple and with just a few ingredients, it is an excellent condiment for hot summer days. And it’s not just for pasta; here in Italy you can even get pizza with pesto! Try it as a risotto or with chicken, meat, green beans, or tomato salad.
Pesto alla Genovese
A fresh, light pasta sauce perfect for a hot summer day or all year round, and delicious on a variety of foods!
Tips
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves (about 2 cups)
- 3 cloves of garlic, pressed
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, chopped
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Directions
- Clean the basil leaves by wiping them with a clean damp cloth or paper towel. Only wash if worried about pesticides, and then dry thoroughly.
- Crush or chop the pine nuts finely. (For this you can use a blender.)
- Finely mince the basil leaves.
- Mix the basil, garlic, and pine nuts together and blend lightly using a mortar and pestle.
- Place it all in a bowl and mix well with the cheese, olive oil, and salt until you can form a loose ball.
- Cook the amount of pasta or rice you need, mix the pesto sauce into it, and serve immediately.
Storage
Can be stored for up to 1 day: Mix all the ingredients except the olive oil to form a ball. Place in a small bowl, flatten slightly, and drizzle with olive oil; cover and refrigerate. Before using, stir in the olive oil.🍷 Suggested wine:
Pasta with pesto is a light dish, best served with white wine. Vermentino grapes grow in both Sardinia and Liguria. I follow the old adage “if it grows together, it goes together,” so I recommend Ligurian Vermentino. This light, dry white wine with its fruity undertones is perfect with pesto! 🥂 Cin-cin and buon appetito!
📷 Image credits: fettuccine; spaghetti
Signora Sheila 
8 responses to “Fresh Pesto Sauce alla Genovese”
This looks wonderful. I appreciate your tip about not using the blender on the basil because it will make it bitter. Thank you!! :)
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It’s one of our favorites. Great in the summer time, or when you want a lighter pasta dish!
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I LOVE basil, and we have a mortar and pestle. ‘Will have to make this, for sure! Thank you for sharing, Sheila!
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Enjoy, my friend, especially on a hot, hot day!
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This sounds awesome–I’m going to make it. How many pine nuts do you need for this recipe?
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1/3 cup of pine nuts, Dayle. Thanks for spotting that. I have now corrected the recipe. And I’m sure you’ll love. So fresh and delicious!!
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Thanks, my friend! I’m definitely going to try this!
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Buon appetito to you and yours, my friend!
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