Pesto alla genovese
Coming to Genoa and not tasting pesto is like saying you haven’t tried to live. It is the most authentic flavor of this city set among the green of its hills, the blue of the sky and the navy of its coasts. A symphony of flavour that conquers everyone, even the most refined palates, it is impossible to resist it, a bit like the song of the sirens. Tasting it in Genoa is an extraordinary experience, its aroma, its delicacy and its character is pure ecstasy.
The secret of a good pesto alla genovese is to make it in marble mortar by crushing the seven ingredients until you get a cream.
Defined the king of Genoese condiments, good also spread on a slice of bread try it with trofie, potato gnocchi, mandilli, trenette or lasagne. To you the choice, dive into this triumph of taste, you will seem to touch the sky with a finger.
Procedure:
After washing the basil leaves, which must come from plants that have not exceeded two months of life, dry them thoroughly on a cloth.
Put in a large marble mortar the garlic along with some grain of salt and start pounding with the pestle, which must be strictly made of olive wood.
Add the pine nuts and beat again, obtaining a rather coarse mush.
Add the basil leaves continuing to crush gently, then add the two cheeses and mix everything.
Soften the dough by pouring the oil slowly until you get a smooth, creamy and good consistency, then transfer it into a bowl mixing it with the remaining oil with the help of a wooden spoon.
Here are some tips:
You should never crush the leaves with force, but gently rotate the pestle along the walls of the mortar, so as to shred them without cutting them.
Processing must take place at room temperature and not take too long, to avoid oxidation that alters the flavor and color of basil.
The amount of garlic can be reduced or increased according to personal taste, but the total lack alters the original taste. Some, especially in the Riviere, add prescinseua (curd) or nuts, tolerable variants, but absolutely must be avoided cashews and parsley.
Although practical, it would be to avoid the use of the blender because the steel blades and the heat alter the taste of the sauce.
Before seasoning the chosen pasta - troffie, troffiette, trenette, mandilli de saea (lasagnette), testaieu (testaroli) - you can slightly dilute the pesto with the cooking water of the pasta.
Who likes it, can boil with the trenette also some potatoes and some green beans, thus obtaining the advantaged trains, a complete and substantial dish.
Finally, pesto can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator if covered with oil (to be removed at the time of consumption) in order to avoid oxidation.
La ricetta è tratta dalla guida "Genova a Tavola", M&R Comunicazione, disponibile presso gli IAT.
Ingredients:
- Four bunches of Genoese basil DOP (60-70 g in leaves);
- 45-60 g aged parmesan cheese or grana padano cheese;
- 20-40 g Sardinian pecorino cheese;
- 60-80 cc of Extra Virgin Olive Oil DOP of the Ligurian Riviera;
- 10 g coarse sea salt;
- 30 g pine nuts (from Pisa or, at least, from the Mediterranean area);
- One or two cloves of garlic (preferably of Vessalico, for the delicate taste).
Typical product:
Basilico