Thick, aromatic, classic Italian pesto sauce was invented in Genoa. Initially, its recipe included only pine nuts, basil, olive oil, garlic and cheese, and was seasoned exclusively with pasta. Over time, the recipe for the famous sauce has found multiple variations and the range of its use has also significantly expanded.
Classic pesto sauce
Traditionally, pesto sauce was prepared by rubbing all the ingredients with a wooden pestle in a heavy marble mortar, this is exactly what, according to the supporters of ancient customs, it is worth doing now for those housewives who want to get the most fragrant and juicy sauce. Those who prefer lightness and speed of authenticity can use a blender or food processor. The prerequisite for making homemade sauce is fresh quality products, not the method of chopping itself.
You will need:
- 125 grams of peeled pine nuts;
- 125 grams of grated Parmesan;
- 125 grams of fresh green basil leaves;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- 200 ml of olive oil;
- salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pesto is put in pasta and soups, coated with fish and meat before baking, put instead of tomato sauce on pizza, added to salads and simply smeared on a piece of aromatic bread.
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Arrange the peeled pine nuts and lightly brown them. Place the grated cheese in a blender / food processor bowl or mortar and add the basil leaves. Crush the peeled garlic clove with the back of a knife and add to the pesto. Pour in a little oil and grind into a homogeneous mass, add the fried nuts and, gradually adding oil, grind into a smooth silky sauce, season it with salt and pepper and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
As a base for pesto verde - green pesto, which includes the classic basil sauce, they take almost any aromatic herbs and even lettuce leaves such as arugula.
Red pesto sauce recipe
In contrast to the emerald green pesto, genovese (pesto in Genoese) in Sicily prepares its own version of pesto sauce - pesto siciliano or pesto rosso, red pesto. Although it also contains greens, it is based on tomatoes, which give the sauce a velvety scarlet hue.
You will need:
- 500 grams of cherry tomatoes;
- 50 grams of pine nuts;
- 150 ml of olive oil;
- 100 grams of fresh basil greens;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- 100 grams of Parmesan:
- salt and freshly ground black pepper.
You can put sun-dried tomatoes in this sauce, then its taste will be richer and it will be stored longer.
Wash the tomatoes, dry and cut into halves. Buy bright, strong tomatoes for a juicy sauce. Using a teaspoon or coffee spoon, remove the juice and seeds from the core of the tomatoes. Mix the tomatoes in a blender bowl with the basil leaves, add the nuts and cheese, add the last oil. Grind all ingredients into a smooth sauce, season with salt and pepper. This pesto is fresh and should not be stored longer than 2-3 days.
