Pesto Genovese

Pesto Genovese

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh basil (or 2, if the bunch is too thin)
2 cloves of garlic
1 handful of freshly roasted nuts (pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts)
40 g Parmesan
½ teaspoon coarse salt
150-200 ml of olive oil

Preparation:

Wash, dry and pick the basil leaves. The classic preparation is to make the pesto by hand crushing the leaves in a mortar (wood, stone or ceramic), namely:

Peel and crush the garlic cloves in a mortar with coarse salt. Gradually add the basil leaves, a few at a time. Crush the leaves with circular movements by pressing them to the sides of the bowl. When the leaves soften, add the nuts freshly roasted. Add the grated parmesan. Finish by pouring the olive oil in a thin stream. Stir vigorously to allow the pesto to “drink” oil. Transfer the pesto in a jar, close and store in the refrigerator for 1 hour, the time to bring out all the flavors and let them merge.

A much easier and faster way to make pesto is to gather all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth with a mixer or blender.

It is possible to store the pesto in the refrigerator up to 1 week, but it is better to pour a layer of olive oil on top (enough to form an oily film). This will preserve it naturally.

Serve with pesto Genovese with salads, pasta, or use it to cook fish and meat.