Classic Pesto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional pesto made of? ›

Originating from Genoa, the capital city of Liguria Italy, Pesto alla Genovese is made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, olive oil and hard cheese, traditionally Pecorino and Parmesan.

Traditional pesto is a blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. With a food processor, it comes together in just a few steps: Pulse the nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor until they're finely chopped. Add the basil and pulse again.

The basic ratio is 1:2:2:8 (1 part nuts, 2 parts oil, 2 parts grating cheese, 8 parts leaves or herbs), plus garlic, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Walnuts are a perfect substitute for pine nuts in pesto because walnuts blend up perfectly. They have a similar fat content as pine nuts, so they blend to a creamy consistency. Homemade pesto only needs a few simple ingredients, so every ingredient is important here.

Traditional pesto is a thick, green sauce that tastes bright and herby from the basil, and salty and rich from the cheeses and pine nuts. It should be garlicky, with pleasant grassiness from good quality olive oil.

Akin to Genovese, its basic ingredients include fresh sweet basil, garlic, and olive oil. However, the basil pesto typically uses walnuts instead of pine nuts and omits the Parmesan cheese found in its Genovese counterpart.

Blanched herb stems are a great way to pad a pesto or sauce and can also be blended into soups to add subtle flavor and color. If your basil is on its way out, blanch it whole (stem and all), puree it, and freeze it into ice cubes which you can use to quickly finish a soup or sauce with.

FAQ: How Long Does Homemade Pesto Last? You can store this basil pesto in a jar or sealable container, then tightly seal and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2–3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Genovese Basil

Also called sweet basil or sweet Genovese, this is the most common variety and what you'll find in those plastic packages at the supermarket. The oval-shaped leaves are about 2-3 inches long and have a strong aroma and peppery flavor. This is the classic choice for pesto, Caprese salad, and pizza.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

What keeps pesto from turning brown? ›

Browning happens most readily at neutral pH, so making the pesto's pH more acidic can help slow down this process. We found that lemon juice, which contains both citric and ascorbic acid, preserved the pesto's green color without compromising its flavor, adding just a hint of pleasant acidity.

Cashew for their creamy texture, and almonds for their flavour.

Pistachios, almonds, and walnuts or even seeds like sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin can replace the traditional pine nuts in pesto. Pretty much any edible nut tastes delicious—just make sure to toast and cool the nut before grinding them into the sauce.

Many pesto recipes call for raw pine nuts, but toasting the nuts can make the final sauce's flavor deeper and richer. Toast the nuts and then combine them—either as a paste or whole—with fresh basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic.

Basil: An essential for fantastic, autentic pesto. Baby Spinach: Adds nutrients and bulks up your pesto! Pine Nuts (or nut of choice): Cashews, walnuts, and even almonds work great here.

Pesto is typically made with basil, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and garlic.

Most pesto is not considered vegan for the sole reason that basic recipes call for some kind of hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino, which is not suitable for vegans. Some authentic Parmesan is even made using rennet, an enzyme found in the lining of a goat or calf's stomach.

The classic Italian pesto alla Genovese is made with basil and pine nuts, and extremely fine it is too. But the idea can be adapted to other herbs, and other nuts, as you'll see here. Nikki particularly likes the combination of basil and parsley, though you can use parsley alone.