Pesto is an uncooked sauce made from herbs, nuts or seeds, hard cheese, garlic and olive oil. The original, pesto alla Genovese, uses basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano, Pecorino, garlic and Ligurian olive oil.

Origin

The name comes from the Italian "pestare" (to pound), as it is traditionally made in a mortar.

In flexitarian cooking

For flexitarians, pesto is a template: wild garlic, sun-dried tomatoes (pesto rosso), rocket or kale work just as well and turn leftovers into a proper sauce.

Alternative

Vegan with nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts are cheaper and nut-free.

Tip

Don't run the blender too long, or the basil turns warm, bitter and dark. Covered with a thin layer of oil in a jar, pesto keeps about a week in the fridge.

Related recipes

Basil pesto, Wild garlic pesto, Pesto rosso

Related terms

Wild Garlic, Emulsion, Al dente