Pesto alla Genovese

Pesto alla Genovese

Although pesto means ‘to pound’, the classic Ligurian pesto alla Genovese, from the port city of Genoa, is traditionally made by crushing – rather than pounding – the ingredients in a marble mortar using a wooden pestle. Crushing the basil this way releases the maximum aroma and flavour and allows the cook to smell each ingredient as it’s added. As each batch of basil, garlic, and even cheese, is slightly different, making the pesto this way enables the cook to adjust quantities to taste. Today, most people use a food processor to make pesto, which is an acceptable shortcut as long as you pulse the ingredients as briefly as possible, so they don’t heat up. Every part of Liguria – possibly every Ligurian cook – has their own take on pesto alla Genovese, often varying the amount of garlic and the ratio and sharpness of the cheeses. Sometimes different herbs are added and walnuts are used instead of pine nuts. Basil pesto from near the Tuscan border is very delicate, made with the smallest basil leaves and just a hint of garlic. This is the way my friend Lucio Galletto, who comes from this area, taught me to make pesto. Scroll down for a video and Lucio’s tips on making pesto alla Genovese. If you can, buy pots of living basil as the leaves are smaller than in most bunches. Further north, near the French border, the pesto is often more garlic heavy, like its fiery Provençal cousin pistou.

Makes about ½ cup (serves 4 as a pasta sauce)

Ingredients
  • 40 small basil leaves, stems removed
  • 1 small clove garlic, peeled
  • Salt flakes, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (about 6g/¼oz)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated young Pecorino Sardo (about 6g/¼oz)
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (80ml)
Method
  1. Pinch any stems off the basil.
  2. Cut garlic in half, remove and discard the centre germ, chop roughly.
  3. Place basil, garlic, a good pinch of salt, pine nuts, Parmigiano and Pecorino in the bowl of a small food processor with about half the oil and pulse to combine.
  4. Add remaining oil and pulse just enough to form a paste.
  5. If you’re not using the pesto immediately, refrigerate it in a sterilised glass jar with a little olive oil drizzled over the top to protect it from oxidising.

Lucio refers to pesto as Sua Maestá il Pesto (His Majesty the Pesto). Here are his tips for making the perfect pesto alla Genovese:

  • If making pesto in a blender, add all the ingredients at once and pulse as briefly as possible to minimise the heat generated
  • Pine nuts are always added raw, not toasted
  • Cheese is always a blend of parmesan (ideally Parmigiano Reggiano) and pecorino (ideally Sardo)
  • Pesto is served a crudo (raw) so always stir it through the pasta off the heat

Pesto is traditionally used to dress a range of pastas, as well as being dolloped generously into minestrone.
Some classic pesto and pasta combinations are:

  • Trenette, a hard wheat pasta cooked with green beans and potato
  • Trofie, little twists of pasta traditionally made with wheat and chestnut flour can also be ooked with green beans and potato
  • Corzetti, fresh pasta either in the shape of a coin or a figure-eight
  • Mandili di sea (literally ‘silk handkerchiefs’), very fine egg-based rag pasta
  • Potato gnocchi
  • Testaroli, Liguria’s ancient flatbread pasta

Share page on:

How To Make Pesto alla Genovese

Join Me Soon

What Other Cooks Say

Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Read More
We made the pot-sticker dumplings and bang bang chicken from the Chinese class the other night. Once again both exceeded our expectations. My husband keeps saying it’s better than going out to restaurants as the recipes and quality are amazing.
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Read More
The whole Be Inspired experience has helped me love cooking again. I was sick of cooking the same old things - meal time is a lot brighter thanks to you Roberta.
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Read More
Your recipes are something I always feel confident offering guests and also reasonable in the time to prepare. We often try your recommended wines and suppliers and enjoy your travel tales too!
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Read More
Thank you for stocking our pantry with such authentic Ingredients and quality produce. We really like the flexibility of cooking over a couple of days and changing the order we cook the dishes in when we want to. And I love listening to the themed playlist while cooking.
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Read More
I am absolutely loving Be Inspired! There are ingredients I have never worked with before so having the confidence to try something new is so much fun! The recipes are just amazing and the notes on what can be prep’d beforehand are a great help too. Thank you so much.
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Read More
Awesome fun traveling through Emilia-Romagna experiencing first hand some of the produce I've worked with over the last couple of years cooking with Roberta's classes – the family are reaping the benefits now.
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Read More
Food, wine and travel! Three of my favourite things! Be Inspired with Roberta has been a wonderful experience and given me more confidence in the kitchen. I have learnt so much, cooked things I never would have attempted without Roberta’s excellent videos, and used ingredients I have never tried before.
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Read More
I'm a competent cook whose learned so much from Roberta's online cooking classes. The recipes are yummy and Roberta’s video guidance offers so many little tips to improve flavour and organise the flow of preparation. I enjoy her warmth, sense of humour, and ability to giggle at herself when she occasionally messes up.
Previous
Next
Subscribe To My Newsletter & Get A Free Online Italian Cooking Class (RRP $39)