Pesto alla Genovese: The Classic Basil Pesto from Liguria

Pesto alla genovese was invented in Genova, an ancient port city in Liguria, and has added a fresh herbal twist to countless dishes since. We love it made with certified Ligurian ingredients according to time-honored traditions, but it is deliciously simple to make fresh at home. Serve it with pasta such as trofie, which the Genovesi invented especially for pesto, spread it over toasted bread for bruschetta or simply scoop up a spoonful.

Ingredients

• 2 loosely-packed cups fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1 clove garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• ½ cup Grana (Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano), finely grated, plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons Pecorino (Fiore Sardo, Pecorino Romano), finely grated, plus more to taste
• Fine sea salt, to taste

How to make Pesto alla Genovese

1. Place the garlic and a generous pinch of fine sea salt in a large mortar and grind against the sides until crushed into a paste.
2. Add about a quarter of the basil leaves and grind until broken down. Continue adding the basil a little at a time, breaking down all the leaves before adding more. Add the pine nuts and grind until crushed.
3. Add about ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil and grind until the pesto is creamy. Finally, add both cheeses and grind until creamy and thoroughly combined.
4. Season with sea salt to taste, adding any other ingredients as needed.
5. Enjoy as fresh as possible.

Tips

Use a mortar and pestle

In Genovese dialect, pestâ means "crush" or "grind." Following tradition, grind the pesto by hand in a mortar. A food processor or blender will also do the trick, but avoid over mixing, which releases too much oil from the pine nuts and bruises the greens.

Taste as you go

The key to pesto is tasting: this recipe offers more guidelines than strict proportions.

Grind in one direction

Work the pestle with a downward and circular motion, and keep going the same way from start to finish. Switch directions halfway and the basil oxidizes faster.

Mind the order

The order the ingredients go into the mortar is crucial. Each one takes a different amount of time to fully break down, and getting the sequence right is the secret to that final, creamy texture.

Keep it fresh and off the heat

• Pesto is at its brightest right after it's made — basil oxidizes quickly.
• Making it ahead? Spoon it into a jar, top with a drizzle of olive oil, seal with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. Use within two to three days.
• Never cook pesto: heat turns basil brown. Drain the pasta and save a bit of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the pesto in a large bowl, adding splashes of that water until every piece is coated.