Pesto alla Genovese
Pesto alla Genovese
Basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and oil — pounded, not cooked, and not a jar of green oil.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Pesto alla Genovese.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Genoese pesto is a raw sauce. Basil should stay green and smell of the plant. A mortar is traditional; a blender works if you pulse and do not heat it. Potato and green beans in the pasta water are Ligurian, not a mistake.
Ingredients
- Basil50 g
- Pine Nuts20 g
- Garlic1 clove
- Parmigiano Reggiano30 g
- Pecorino Romano (optional)15 g
- Olive oil80 ml
- Pasta300 g
- Potato (optional)1 small
- Salt2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Pound or pulse garlic, pine nuts, basil and salt. Beat in cheese, then oil until it is a thick paste, not a soup.
8 minStep 2
Boil pasta (and diced potato if using). Toss with pesto and a splash of water off the heat. Never fry the pesto.
12 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Pine nuts → Walnuts or cashews
Liguria will notice. Your Tuesday will not mind.
Tips
- Walnuts stand in when pine nuts are a luxury. Different, still green.
- Cover leftover pesto with oil so it does not blacken.
History & culture
Liguria. Trofie or trenette. The jar in a supermarket is a different product that we will not waste time insulting — just do not call it this.
Garlic-and-herb pastes are old Mediterranean cooking. The basil-pine-nut formula is Ligurian and relatively modern as a named sauce.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: AlfonsoLucifredi via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pesto%20alla%20genovese.jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Pesto alla Genovese take?
27 min all in — 15 min prep, 12 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 3 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk, Tree nuts, Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Mortar and pestle.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Pine nuts → Walnuts or cashews. Liguria will notice. Your Tuesday will not mind.
Any tips from this recipe?
Walnuts stand in when pine nuts are a luxury. Different, still green. Cover leftover pesto with oil so it does not blacken.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Cover leftover pesto with oil so it does not blacken.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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