Basil pesto or pesto of any kind, is a very popular ingredient in my kitchen, we have it with pasta and use it in so many other different ways. Find out more below.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Basil Pesto
Pesto, as many people know it, is that dark green basil sauce from Italy, traditionally eaten with trofie (short and thin, twisted pasta shapes). Of course, technically, this is basil pesto.
However, the word pesto, comes from the Italian word pestare, meaning “to pound, crush or grind”. So pesto really is any sauce where the ingredients have been pounded together.
But the pesto that we all know and love, is in fact basil pesto or Pesto Genovese, created in the port city of Genoa, in Liguria, in north west Italy. And it has the simplest of ingredients.
Why make it, when you can buy it so easily? Because it’s easy, it’s fresh, and it contains only the ingredients it needs. That means no potato, no egg and no additives, that you are likely to see on the ingredients’ list of shop bought pesto.
The Ingredients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Basil Leaves
- Garlic
- Pine Nuts
- Parmesan & Pecorino Romano Cheeses
- And the obligatory salt and pepper
Red Pesto Recipe
How do You Make Basil Pesto?
Traditionally, pesto is made with a pestle and mortar, giving you a more rustic sauce. But the food chopper saves you time and elbow grease. You place all the above ingredients in a food chopper (olive oil is drizzled in later) and chop to either a fine or coarse state, however you prefer your basil pesto.
Grating your cheese before adding to the chopper or your mortar, makes for easier chopping and pounding.
I am a huge fan of basil pesto and make a variety of them, as well as a variety of recipes with pesto. Another favourite pesto sauce of mine is the Red Chilli Pesto, above.
And, you will find, below, examples of how I use Pesto Genovese here on LinsFood.
Let’s get our aprons on!
Pesto Recipes on LinsFood
You’ll find more wonderful Italian recipes on the Italian Recipes page, including fusion recipes like Wild Garlic Pesto.
If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you!
And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood
Lin xx
Pesto alla Genovese (Traditional Basil Pesto Recipe from Genoa)
Ingredients
- 1 medium clove garlic
- 60 g pine nuts
- 3 handfuls fresh basil leaves
- 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp freshly grated pecorino cheese
- Pinch salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a food chopper, start with chopping the garlic and pine nuts for a few seconds.
- Add the basil leaves and half the olive oil and continue chopping for about 20 seconds more.
- Add the cheeses, salt, pepper and a little more olive oil and chop again.
- Scrape down the sides and add more olive oil if you need it and chop one last time to incorporate everything together. You are going for a paste that is just pourable and thick.
Thank you, bookmarked this, definitely making it over the weekend.
Hi Azlin, I can’t eat pine nuts. can I use cashew nuts instead.
Hi Lili. Sure, you can substitute the pine nuts with cashew nuts, if you can’t eat them. However, I would use only half the weight, 30g/1oz, in this recipe, as cashew nuts are very creamy.
Thank you for this. I did a search for the recipe and found yours. Really excited to try the pesto in those other recipes.
Great, thank you, Jackie. Let me know how it all goes.
Thanks Chef, I didn’t realise how quick and easy it was to make pesto. Definitely making it
Awesome!
Omg, I looove pesto!
gotta make this
Cool, let me know how it goes.
Ah, you’ve demystified pesto sauce for me. I’m off to the supermarket this morning to get the cheese, basil leaves and pine nuts. Thank you!
Thank you, glad to help.