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Traditional Pesto Genovese

Developed by Greg Strahm

Pesto is a sauce that originated in Genoa, which is located on the coast in the northern Italian region of Liguria and dates back to Roman times. It is traditionally made with crushed garlic, fresh herbs, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Although the most traditional pesto, "Pesto Genovese" contains fresh basil as the main ingredient, there are other variations that are red in color and are made with sun dried tomatoes or sweet red bell peppers.
Pesto can be made in many variations. You can add fresh spinach, arugula, parsley, or other fresh herb to compliment whatever you are using it for. You can also use grated Romano, Pecorino, or Asiago cheese instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups:
    fresh basil leaves, packed (no stems)
  • 2/3 cups:
    Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
  • 2/3 cups:
    pine nuts, toasted (can substitute with walnuts)
  • 1 1/3 cups:
    extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 large cloves:
    garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  • 1:

    Place 3 cups basil leaves, and 3 large cloves of garlic in a food processor and pulse till rough chopped.

  • 2:

    Add 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts and pulse till rough chopped. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.

  • 3:

    Add 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pulse to incorporate.

  • 4:

    With the food processor running, add 1 1/2 cup olive oil in slow steady stream until you have a nice smooth emulsion. Stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor.

  • 5:

    Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

NOTE:

To store, place in an air tight container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil after each use to keep air from turning pesto black.