Pesto sauce
Origin of the recipe
Pesto sauce (from the Italian pestare – to grind, to pound) is made from basil and olive oil with the addition of pine nuts, garlic, sea salt, and hard cheese. It is a traditional Genoese pasta condiment. It is said that this mixture was originally used not as a sauce, but to preserve basil leaves, a common plant in northern Italy. In ancient times, the ingredients for the sauce were pounded in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle.
What do you need for cooking?
Ingredients
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Green basil
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Olive oil
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Pine nuts
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Parmesan
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Garlic
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Ground black pepper
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Lemon juice
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Coarse salt
Kitchen utensils
- Bowl
- Blender
Classic pesto sauce is a flavorful and rich Italian delicacy that's perfect for pasta, pizza, or even fresh bread. The combination of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil creates a unique flavor and aroma that will enhance and enrich any dish. In this recipe, we'll show you how to quickly and easily make this versatile sauce at home, preserving all its traditional characteristics.
Step-by-step recipe
Step 1:
Remove the basil leaves from the branches and place them in a bowl.
Step 2:
Place garlic and pine nuts in a blender and blend until smooth for 10 seconds.
Step 3:
Add basil leaves and chop them.
Step 4:
Add lemon juice.
Step 5:
Gradually add olive oil and finely grated Parmesan cheese. Mix until smooth.
Step 6:
Add salt and pepper. Stir.
Cooking tips
Pine nuts in the sauce can be replaced with walnuts.
Only very hard and salty cheese is suitable for pesto.
Store the prepared sauce in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or wrapped in it. Prolonged exposure to air will cause pesto to change color and may lose its flavor.
If you want to keep the pesto longer, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, put the sauce in sterilized jars and close with sterilized lids, then lower the jars with sauce into boiling water for 10 minutes.
See also:
Sauce recipes
Classic recipes
