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
8 replies on “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!! :)
It’s one of our favorites. Great in the summer time, or when you want a lighter pasta dish!
I LOVE basil, and we have a mortar and pestle. ‘Will have to make this, for sure! Thank you for sharing, Sheila!
Enjoy, my friend, especially on a hot, hot day!
This sounds awesome–I’m going to make it. How many pine nuts do you need for this recipe?
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!!
Thanks, my friend! I’m definitely going to try this!
Buon appetito to you and yours, my friend!