My blog could not miss out on the tasty and CREAMY GENOVESE PESTO.
A sauce from the Ligurian cuisine that has become famous throughout the world in the last 20 years.
Its origin derives from a chopped up garlic, used in the Roman Empire to flavor meat and fish. Basil leaves were also used. Over the years it has been enriched with other ingredients such as Parmigiano, Pecorino, and Pinoli. The first written recipe of Pesto Genovese appears on the “Cuciniera Genovese” in 1863. In Giovanni Battista Ratto’s recipe (1870) the pesto is unequivocally presented as a sauce for pasta.
Pesto is traditionally served with trofie, trenette, and potato gnocchi but you can use any type of pasta you prefer, long or short. Just remember that the dough should be quite thick in order to compensate for the flavor of the pesto.
In ancient times, but still present today, to maintain the freshness and fragrance of essential oils people must crush basil leaves with the garlic with the pestle; movements must tear the basil leaves.
Its preparation is not simple because it is necessary to respect the doses of the ingredients, which must be of quality, and the order in which they are mixed. Pesto is part of the Ligurian traditional food products and there is a specification of the Genoese pesto Consortium which establishes how to prepare the traditional recipe.
Creamy Genovese Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g basil leaves 5.3.oz
- 65 g pine nuts 4.5 tbsp
- 50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 3.5 tbsp
- 60 g grated pecorino cheese 4 tbsp
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil ½ cup
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt coarse enough
Instructions
- Wash the basil leaves and dry them well without breaking them.
- Pound the garlic in the mortar and then add the coarse salt.
- Put the basil leaves a little at a time and crush them in a circular motion so as to break up the leaves gradually.
- After having crushed all the basil, add the pine nuts, continue to pound with force to break them into small pieces.
- Add the pecorino and the grated Parmigiano to the mixture and, towards the end, add the oil, mix everything together and it is ready to season your pasta.
Notes
If you don’t have to use it immediately, cover it with a little olive oil and transparent kitchen film, and put it in the fridge for few days no more.
ENJOY!
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