Authentic Pesto Genovese Recipe with Mortar and Pestle!
This is the authentic Pesto Genovese recipe traditional in the city of Genoa, "Cinque Terre" and in the region of Liguria! The ingredients? Fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, parmigiano and pecorino cheeses and extra virgin olive oil!
Equipment
- Mortar and Pestle a mortar and pestle is traditional for making pesto
- or Food Processor See tips!
Ingredients
Pesto Genovese
- 2 oz fresh basil
- 1 ¾ oz pecorino cheese freshly grated (and finely grated); technically 'pecorino sardo' (pecorino from Sardegna)
- 1 ¾ oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese freshly grated (and finely grated)
- 1 clove garlic mashed into a paste
- 1 pinch coarse salt
- 1 ¾ oz pine nuts
- 3 ½ tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
Make the Pesto
- To the chilled mortar (bowl) add: fresh garlic cloves and salt.1 clove garlic, 1 pinch coarse salt
- Mash the ingredients until you have a paste. Don't 'pound' with the pestle. Rather, press and move the pestle in circles to grind and mash.
- Add around half of the pine nuts to the mashed garlic. Crush the pine nuts into a paste.1 ¾ oz pine nuts
- Add the fresh basil leaves, a handful at a time. Add a few more pine nuts with each handful of basil to help provide friction for mixing.2 oz fresh basil
- Finish adding the basil and mashing it.
- Add the (finely grated) Parmigiano and Pecorino cheeses, a handful at a time.1 ¾ oz pecorino cheese, 1 ¾ oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Add the olive oil and mix to combine. Continue mixing until you've made a smooth and creamy paste. Salt to taste if needed.3 ½ tbsp olive oil
- Buon appetito!
Video
Nutrition
Sodium: 767mgCalcium: 340mgVitamin C: 22mgVitamin A: 1578IUSugar: 6gFiber: 4gPotassium: 671mgCholesterol: 21mgCalories: 369kcalSaturated Fat: 7gFat: 29gProtein: 13gCarbohydrates: 18gIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!