Pesto is one of the best expression of Italian regional cuisine.
The ancient Romans used to eat a similar sauce called "moretum" which was made by crushing garlic, salt, cheese, herbs, olive oil and vinegar together
The introduction of basil as the main ingredient of modern pesto, occurred in more recent times and has been introduced by gastronomist Giovanni Battista Ratto in his book La Cuciniera Genovese in 1863. Ligurians are very proud of their pesto.The Regione Liguria and the Pesto alla Genovese consortium established rules and regulations about ingredients and preparation of Pesto sauce.
Trenette in Pesto
Time 1 hour
Servings 4
12 oz. trenette
3 oz. green beans
2 potatoes, salt
FOR THE PESTO
4 basil bunches
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grated Grana Padano
3 tbsp. grated Pecorino
1 glass of Giordano Extra Virgin Olive Oil
coarse salt
- Detach the basil leaves from the stems. Wash them and lay on paper towels to dry. Peel the garlic and place it into a marble mortar with a few grains of coarse salt. Start pounding with the pestle.
- Once the garlic is reduced to a pulp, add the pine nuts and continue to pound. next, add the basil leaves and crush them without pounding by rotating the pestle against the walls of the mortar.
- Without stopping, add the cheeses, then drizzle in about half of the olive oil. Transfer the pesto into a bowl and add the rest of the oil a little at a time while stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Clean the green beans and peel the potatoes. Chop both. Bring salted water to a boil in a pot, drop in the vegetables. When they are almost cooked, add the trenette.
- Drain the pasta and the vegetables, transfer into a tureen, season with the pesto, diluting if necessary with a ladleful of cooking liquid, and serve.
and the right wine is Prosecco DOC