The summer left our land a month ago, but we are having a very sunny and exceptionally warm autumn and the basil plant on my balcony is still in full swing.
That is why I’ve decided to make another (probably last for this year) home basil pesto – Pesto Genovese. This “sauce” is perfect for pasta, but it is also great if you just spread it over a piece of freshly baked bread.
Without any doubt it is a very aromatic, colourful and tasty sauce that is also very simple to prepare. But even the simplest things need good quality ingredients to taste great.
I’ve tried the first homemade Pesto Genovese at my friend’s home. He made the pesto following his mother’s recipe (she is Italian) and he used: basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, pine nuts, garlic and salt.
I’m making my pesto exactly the same way, just that I skip the garlic, since I think that it covers the freshness of the basil (but this is just my opinion).
For the last home-made pesto I had only parmesan cheese in my fridge. That is why in my below recipe I will use only that one. Below I’m sharing with you the right proportions, but honestly in general I’m doing it by taste (so I have the excuse to taste it several times during my making process 😊).
- 50 g basil leaves
- 35 g parmesan cheese + 10 g pecorino cheese (or 45g of parmesan cheese)
- 8 g pine nuts
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt
The pesto can be done using a mortar and pestle (in a traditional way) or using a kitchen mixer. I made it in the mixer. I prefer to cut the cheese into small pieces first and then I add the pine nuts.
Then you simply add the basil leaves, the salt and the olive oil. Mix all together well till the mixture is nice and homogenic. As I said, its important to make all by taste, so I’m adding the oil slowly and sometimes I use it less, sometimes more, same is with salt 😊.
You can use the pesto immediately or store it in the fridge for a few days. If you want to conserve it, press it well in a small glass jar and add some olive oil on the top to cover well the pesto.
Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply.
Best regards,
