How to make and use basil pesto Genovese
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Total Time
20 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
328 kcal
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Course
Condiments
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, Italian
How to make and use basil pesto Genovese
Description
How to make and use basil pesto Genovese involves combining fresh basil leaves with toasted or untoasted pine nuts, garlic, and coarse sea salt. Blending or grinding these ingredients slowly with olive oil produces a fresh, herbal paste. Grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo cheeses are incorporated last to introduce sharp, salty flavors and a creamy texture. The recipe cautions against overheating the blender to preserve basil's freshness.
The flavor of this pesto is bright and herbaceous with nutty undertones from pine nuts and a savory, salty finish from the cheeses. The texture should be a slightly coarse, spreadable paste rather than a smooth puree, maintaining some body and freshness from the basil leaves.
This classic pesto can be mixed into freshly cooked pasta with reserved pasta water, stirred into soups, used as a topping for bread, or as a flavorful addition to meats and vegetables. The recipe suggests storing homemade pesto in sterile containers in the refrigerator for up to a week or freezing it for longer storage. Freezing in ice cube trays allows convenient portioning.
Traditional preparation with mortar and pestle preserves texture and flavor but using a food processor is an efficient alternative. Gradual addition of basil and oil in pulses helps maintain an optimal consistency.
Ingredients
- 60-70 g basil washed and dried, fresh, leaves, about 4 handfuls
- 20 g pine nuts I sometimes like to toast them, 0.7 oz
- 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated, 2oz
- 30 g Pecorino Sardo cheese grated. Or double parmigiano (3oz) if not available or use pecorino Romano, 1 oz
- 1-2 garlic peeled, cloves
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil or as required, 3.5 fl oz
- 1-2 pinches sea salt coarse
Instructions
Using a food processor
- Put all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse a few seconds at a time until you have the right consistency. Don’t keep pulsing for too long at once as the blender will heat up and this can spoil the basil.
- OR First put the pine nuts and garlic in the food processor, then pulse until minced. Second add some basil and a little olive oil, then make a few short pulses. Add more fresh basil and a little olive oil, then make a few more short pulses. Repeat if you have more basil leaves.
- Finally, some salt and the cheese and some more olive oil followed by a short pulse or two just to mix the cheese and olive oil in. Alternatively transfer the pesto to a bowl and add the cheese and more oil then.
Traditional method
- Put the peeled garlic cloves into a mortar with the pine nuts. Grind until you have a paste. Then add some basil leaves, and a little coarse salt, and 3 tablespoon of olive oil. Keep working with the pestle, while continuing to add more basil leaves and olive oil until the pesto is smooth. Finally, transfer to a bowl, add the grated cheeses and stir well.
Notes
- Serve the pesto by mixing it into freshly cooked pasta with a splash of pasta cooking water for even coating.
- Store homemade pesto in sterilized jars or airtight containers in the fridge for up to one week.
- For longer storage, freeze pesto in ice cube trays and then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag; this method extends preservation to about six to nine months.
- Using a mortar and pestle allows for traditional texture, but a food processor can be used with caution to avoid overheating.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 328 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 328kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 32g | 49% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 19g | 95% |
| Cholesterol | 18mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 428mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 98mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 0.4g | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 941IU | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 286mg | 29% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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