Pesto: not just Genovese! Exploring the many variants.

If you love pasta, you know that the original pesto made with basil, pine nuts, and garlic is the Genoese one! But for some time now, the word "pesto," which means to pound, has been associated with many types of pasta sauces and more. This is how many new sauces have been born. Recipes that purists of Italian cuisine may not appreciate, but which are truly very good and also associated with the word pesto. From zucchini pesto to arugula pesto and pistachio pesto, including Sicilian pesto, Trapani pesto, and eggplant pesto, to finish with red pesto. As you may have guessed, there's something for everyone. Discover with us the history of the original and all its flavors.

Pesto: the origins of Genoese pesto

The Genoese pesto probably descends from the moretum of the ancient Romans, a green paste made with cheese, garlic, and herbs, the preparation of which is described in a short poem attributed to Virgil. The pesto, as we know it today, was not yet widespread at the time of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the most famous Ligurian in the world. However, in Italy, there was a "plebeian" sauce during the Middle Ages that can be considered a forerunner, in some way, of pesto. It was the agliata, a mixture of walnuts and garlic, which held a crucial place in the diet of Genoese and Ligurians, especially those who went to sea, for centuries.

Recipes for true pesto began to appear in the 1800s. This was naturally a sauce for dressing pasta. Lasagna, but especially trofie, a sort of elongated and twisted gnocchi, tapering at the ends and thicker in the center. Its birth dates back to the early thirties of the nineteenth century, when Giovanni Battista Ratto, a refined gourmet, mentions the recipe in his book "La cuciniera genovese!".

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Pesto: the recipe for the Genoese version

There is a specific Consortium that protects the original recipe of Genoese pesto. The ingredients and quantities for 600 grams of pasta, to make excellent homemade pesto, are as follows: 50 grams of Genoese DOP basil, half a glass of Ligurian extra virgin olive oil, 6 tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, 2 tablespoons of Pecorino DOP, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of pine nuts, and a few grains of coarse salt.

To make true pesto, you need a mortar and pestle! Wash the basil in cold water and let it dry; in the meantime, crush the garlic in the mortar. The doses indicate one clove for every 30 leaves, so we will use 60. Add the coarse salt when the consistency is creamy, then add the pine nuts. Continue to crush and then gradually add the basil leaves and finally the pecorino and oil. The process must take place at room temperature.

Pesto: here are the many alternatives to Genoese pesto

First of all, you should know that not everyone appreciates garlic, and that's why for some years now, garlic-free Genoese pesto has gained popularity. A blow to the heart for purists, but tastes cannot be commanded. We also have many variants such as zucchini pesto, a tasty, fresh, and light condiment, ideal for preparing quick and flavorful first courses. Or Trapanese pesto, an example of culinary influence. It is indeed a contamination due to Ligurian navigators when they docked in northwestern Sicily and is made with cherry tomatoes, almonds, basil, red garlic, pepper, and pecorino. A real delight. From Sicily also come eggplant pesto and red pesto, a condiment made with sun-dried tomatoes featuring an irresistible Mediterranean flavor.

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Pesto: the offers you can find on Spaghetti & Mandolino

If there is one thing that is not lacking on Spaghetti & Mandolino, it's definitely pesto. Among them stands out the one from the company I Vasetti di Riccardo, a typical Genoese pesto with or without garlic. Excellent are the typical Sicilian sauces offered by Frantoi Cutrera. To return to the jarred Ligurian pesto, we also highlight that produced by Ranise. If you want to try something unusual, other types of pesto are the one made with pistachios and cashews, as well as the excellent wild garlic sauce or the Jerusalem artichoke cream. You can order what suits you on Spaghetti & Mandolino: you will receive it directly at home as soon as possible. All that’s left is to wish you bon appétit!