Pesto alla genovese
Vegetarian
Ligurian basil sauce pounded in a mortar with garlic, pine nuts, aged cheeses and mild olive oil. The pestle bruises rather than chops the leaves, giving a fragrant, creamy-textured green paste.
Pesto alla genovese is an Italian sauce from Italy, ready in about 25 minutes and made with pine nuts, basil and olive oil. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 183
Method
Step 1
Put the garlic (opens in a new tab) and coarse salt in a marble or stone mortar and grind to a smooth cream with a circular motion of the pestle.
Step 2
Add the pine nuts (opens in a new tab) and work them into the garlic (opens in a new tab) until you have a pale, sticky paste.
Step 3
Add the basil (opens in a new tab) a handful at a time. Rotate the pestle against the sides of the mortar while turning the mortar the other way, crushing the leaves rather than pounding them, until they release a bright green liquid and break down. Keep going until all the basil is a coarse cream.
Work steadily and avoid warming the leaves with your hands — heat and long bashing turn basil dark and bitter.
Step 4
Stir in both cheeses, then trickle in the olive oil (opens in a new tab), mixing with the pestle or a spoon until creamy and loose enough to coat pasta.
- 4 min
Step 5
To dress pasta, loosen the pesto with a spoonful of the pasta cooking water in a warm (not hot) bowl and toss off the heat until the pasta is glossy and evenly coated; never put pesto in a hot pan.
- 2 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Liguria (Genoa), Italy · Well documentedMore food from Italy
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Sauces
- Cooking method
- Raw, No-cook
- Taste
- herby, nutty, savoury, garlicky
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carbWith the listed swaps: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb - Good for
- Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
- Cook more with
- Pine nuts · Basil · Garlic · Parmesan · Pecorino Romano
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom parmesan, pecorino romano
- Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom pine nuts
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
183 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 38 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 9%
- Carbohydrate 2%
- Fat 88%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 183 kcal | 477 kcal |
| Protein | 4.4 g | 11.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.1 g | 2.9 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 0.9 g | 2.3 g |
| Sugars | 0.2 g | 0.4 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 18.2 g | 47.4 g |
| Saturated fat | 3.7 g | 9.6 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 9 mg | 22 mg |
| Sodium | 234 mg | 610 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.5 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 52 mg
- Calcium
- 141 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 16 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 41 µg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 7 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- A food processor works: pulse with the blade chilled, add oil early and stop as soon as it comes together.
- Classic serving: trofie or trenette boiled with sliced potato and green beans, all tossed with the pesto.
Common mistakes
- Wet basil leaves make a watery, quickly darkening pesto.
- Heating pesto in a pan cooks the basil and makes the cheese stringy.
Serve with
- Trofie, trenette or gnocchi
- A spoonful in minestrone
- Spread in focaccia sandwiches
Food safety
- Raw garlic or herbs kept under oil can support botulism if left at room temperature. Refrigerate and use within the stated time; never store at room temperature.
Storage
- Pack into a jar, smooth the top and cover with a thin layer of oil; refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze (ideally before adding the cheese) for up to 3 months.
Variations
- Pesto with walnuts (Italy): Replace some or all of the pine nuts with walnuts, a common Ligurian alternative.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Goes with
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Parmesan, finely grated45 g
- Pecorino Romano, finely grated20 g
Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.
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