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Pesto Recipe

This is a versatile recipe which can add a lovely fresh taste to pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches and soups.

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Pesto is said to have originated in Genoa, the capital of theLiguria Region of Italy where it is called Pesto alla Genovese. Just across the border in Provence there is a similar sauce called pistou.

Along with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil is one of the delights of spring and summer, and pesto is a great way to enjoy basil. All you need is a fresh young wine to accompany it.

Here is a simple pesto recipe that you will use over and over again.

Ingredients

1 cup of fresh basil leaves (you can use some sparsely as well, but the basil should predominate)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
A half cup of good olive oil
30g pine nuts
60g parmesan cheese

Method

Blend or process the basil leaves, garlic, oil and pine nuts until smooth. Use a pestle and mortar if you have time and patience. Stir through the freshly grated cheese. If you wish you can store for a week or two covered with olive oil in a glass jar and refrigerated.

Serving suggestions

Toss a couple of tablespoons through some freshly cooked pasta or gnocchi.
A generous dollop of pesto can make a lovely garnish for some grilled fish.
Use it to garnish a rich roasted tomato and capsicum soup.
To make a crunchy dip, roughly chop an extra 60g pine nuts and mix the pesto through.
Valentia Harris, in her Valentina's Italian Family Feast cookbook, suggests a tomato salad with pesto and pine nuts. The pesto is mixed with olive oil and cracked peppercorns to make a dressing for some sliced tomatoes. Some pine nuts and a few basil leaves are tossed through the salad.

In my eBook 10 dishes for Sangiovese I have a recipe for Minestra al Pesto. You can download a free copy of the book from 10 dishes for sangiovese

Wine suggestions A good Pinot grigio will complement most dishes with pesto. If you want to pair pesto with red wine, a light bodied Barbera could be suitable.

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