Pesto Alla Genovese
Ingredients
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- 2 cloves garlic – peeled
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 cups basil leaves – leaves only, lightly packed
- 1/2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – finely grated
- 1/4 cups Pecorino Sardo cheese – finely grated
- 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. If possible, chill a marble mortar and wooden pestle for 10 minutes. Finely grate the cheeses and set aside.
2. In the mortar, pound the garlic with the coarse sea salt to a smooth paste, 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the pine nuts and grind until creamy with no large pieces remaining, 1–2 minutes.
4. Add the basil leaves (washed and thoroughly dried) in 2–3 additions, crushing with a circular motion until a thick, bright-green paste forms, 3–5 minutes.
5. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the Pecorino Sardo cheese; work them in until fully incorporated, 1–2 minutes.
6. Drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil a little at a time, stirring until the sauce is glossy and spoonable; it should hold its shape on a spoon without oil pooling.
7. Taste and adjust if needed. Use right away, or transfer to an airtight container, pressing plastic wrap directly against the surface to limit oxidation. Refrigerate up to 2 days; return to room temperature before using.
Pesto alla Genovese is Liguria’s famed raw sauce, a fragrant emulsion of sweet basil, pungent garlic, creamy pine nuts, aged cheeses, and silky extra-virgin olive oil. The texture is lush yet light, coating pasta in a verdant sheen while delivering a balance of herbal freshness, gentle heat, nutty depth, and savory salinity. Traditionally made in a cool marble mortar with a wooden pestle, it develops a delicate, non-bitter flavor and a bright green color.
Originating in Genoa, pesto evolved from earlier Mediterranean herb-and-cheese pounded sauces. By the 19th century it was firmly associated with Genovese basil and pine nuts, and later codified with Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo. Today it remains an emblem of Ligurian cooking, commonly paired with trofie or trenette, and often served in the regional pasta al pesto with boiled potatoes and green beans.