Pesto

Pesto(Italian:[ˈpesto]) or more fullypesto alla genovese(Italian:[ˈpestoalladʒenoˈveːse,-eːze];lit.'Genoese pesto') is apastemade of crushedgarlic,pine nuts, salt,basil leaves, grated cheese such asParmesanorpecorino sardo,andolive oil.It originated in the Italian city ofGenoa, and is used to dress pasta and flavour genoese minestrone soup.
The name pesto is the past participle of theGenoeseverbpestâ(Italian:pestare), meaning 'to pound', 'to crush': the ingredients are "crushed" or ground in a marblemortarthrough a circular motion of a woodenpestle. The sameLatinroot gives uspestle.There are other foods calledpesto, butpestoby itself usually meanspesto alla genovese.
Pesto is thought to have had two predecessors in ancient times, going back as far as theRoman age. Theancient Romansused to eat a similar paste called "moretum", which was made by crushing garlic, salt, cheese, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar (and sometimes pine nuts) together.The use of this paste in the Roman cuisine is mentioned in theAppendix Vergiliana, an ancient collection of poems in which the author details the preparation ofmoretum.During theMiddle Ages, a popular sauce in the Genoan cuisine wasagliata, which was a mash of garlic and walnuts, as garlic was a staple in the nutrition of Ligurians, especially for the seafarers.
The introduction of basil, the main ingredient of modern pesto, occurred in more recent times and is first documented only from the 1850s.  Emanuele Rossi publishedLa Vera Cucineria Genovesein 1852 and gastronomist Giovanni Battista Ratto publishedLa Cuciniera Genovesein 1863:
Basil took the firmest root in the regions ofLiguria, Italy, andProvence, France.It is abundant in these regions in season, and marjoram and parsley may be used when basil is out of season.Ratto mentions Dutch cheese (formaggio olandese) instead ofpecorino sardo, since Northern European cheeses were common in Genoa at the time, thanks to the centuries-long commercial trades of themaritime republic.
This recipe forpesto alla genovesewas often revised in the following years (a noted revision by Emanuele Rossi occurred in 1865, only a couple of years after Ratto'sCuciniera),and it shortly became a staple in the Ligurian culinary tradition, with many variants.
An early American pesto recipe was published in 1928; it includes butter and cream.Imported, canned pesto was available by 1944.In 1946,Sunsetmagazine published a pesto recipe byAngelo Pellegrini. Pesto became popular in North America in the 1980s and 1990s.
Pesto is traditionally prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. First, garlic and pine nuts are placed in the mortar and reduced to a cream,and then the washed and dried basil leaves are added with coarse salt and ground to a creamy consistency. Only then is a mix ofParmesanandpecorinoadded. To help incorporate the cheese, a little extra-virgin olive oil is added. In a tight jar (or simply in an air-tight plastic container), covered by a layer of extra-virgin olive oil, pesto can last in the refrigerator for up to a week and can be frozen for later use.
Pesto is commonly used on pasta, traditionally withmandilli de sæa('silk handkerchiefs' in the Genoese dialect),trofieortrenette. Potatoes and string beans are also traditionally added to the dish, boiled in the same pot in which the pasta has been cooked.Pasta mixed with pesto has become a well-known dish in many countries today,with countless recipes available for "pasta with pesto".
It is used in Genoveseminestrone. Outside of Italy, pesto is sometimes served with sliced beef, tomatoes, and sliced boiled potatoes.
Pesto comes in a variety of recipes, some traditional and some modern, as the very nounpestois a generic term for anything that is made by pounding.
The originalpesto alla genoveseis made withGenovese basil, coarse salt, garlic, Ligurianextra virgin olive oil(Taggiasco), Europeanpine nuts(sometimes toasted), and a grated cheese such asParmesanorGrana Padanoandpecorino sardoorpecorino romano.A proposal is under preparation by the Palatifini Association to havepesto alla genoveseincluded in theUNESCOintangible cultural heritage list.There is a biennial international Genovese Pesto al Mortaio competition, in which 100 finalists use traditional mortars and pestles as well as the above ingredients, which 30 local and international judges then assess.
There is a slightly different version in Provence, where it is known aspistou(frompistar, 'to pound' inOccitan).Pistouis generally made with only olive oil, basil, and garlic, and not cheese, although some modern versions include it. Almonds or breadcrumbs can be used to give the final consistency.Pistouis used in thesoupe au pistou, a hearty vegetable soup.
Outside of Italy, sometimes almond, Brazil, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnut, or even peanuts are used instead of pine nuts, and sometimes coriander, dill, kale, mint, parsley, rocket, spinach, or wild garlic leaves are mixed in with the basil leaves.Any combination of flavourful leaves, oily nuts, hard cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice can produce a pesto-like condiment.
Pesto alla siciliana, sometimes calledpesto rosso(red pesto), is a sauce fromSicilysimilar topesto alla genovesebut with the addition of fresh tomato and almonds instead of pine nuts, and much less basil.
Pesto alla calabreseis a sauce fromCalabriaconsisting of (grilled) bell peppers, black pepper, and more; these ingredients give it a distinctively spicy taste.
Outside Italy, the namepestohas been used for all sorts of cold sauces or dips, mostly without any of the original ingredients: coriander, dill, kale, mint, parsley, rocket, spinach, or wild garlic (instead of or in addition to basil), artichokes, black olives, green olives, lemon peel, lime peel, or mushrooms.In more northern countries,ramsonleaves are sometimes used instead of basil.In the 19th century, Genovese immigrants to Argentina brought pesto recipes with them. A Peruvian variety, known astallarines verdes(meaning 'green noodles', from Italiantagliarini), is slightly creamier, lacks pine nuts (because of their rarity and prohibitive cost in Peru), may use spinach and vegetable oil (in place of olive oil), and is sometimes served with roasted potatoes and sirloin steak.
Vegan variations may substitute miso paste andnutritional yeastfor cheese.
For reasons of expense or availability, almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnut, or even peanuts are sometimes substituted for the traditional pine nuts. Also, while the nuts are traditionally raw, some recipes call for prior toasting or roasting. Other nuts may be used due to the taste disturbances that some people may experience after consuming pine nuts (seepine mouth). Many online recipes in English for pesto includeblack pepperorwhite pepper,which are not present in the usual Genoese recipe.Prepared pesto sold in supermarkets often replaces the extra virgin olive oil with cheaper vegetable oils. Some manufacturers of pesto for European supermarkets also use fillers such as potato flakes or potato starch, which soften the strong flavour.
Certain pesto recipes abroad replace basil or pine nuts with other herbs and greens, such as:
Media related toPestoat Wikimedia CommonsPestoat the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject