Classic Pesto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the key ingredient in pesto sauce? ›

Often referred to as Pesto alla Genovese, the essential ingredients of pesto are an Italian green basil (preferably 'Genoa Green' or something similar), olive oil, garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts.

Properly made pesto tastes fresh and zingy and balanced, not muddy. Each flavor component is identifiable—the fragrant basil, the pungent garlic, the buttery olive oil and sweet pine nuts, the tangy cheeses—and yet none dominates. Basil is the star, for sure, but its perfume works in balance with the other ingredients.

As a very rough guide, your pesto should weigh about 2/3 the weight of the dried pasta you are cooking. So, for a standard, single serving of 75g of dried pasta, we think that 50g of pesto is about right.

The term pesto translates roughly as paste, but with a variation in ingredients the texture of this uncooked Italian sauce can range from a thick puree to a stiff paste. Whatever the ingredients, making pesto is easy with a food processor technique called ”timing the pour.”

Additions - Some roasted or fresh cherry tomatoes would be delicious, I like to add fresh basil leaves to the top too. Pesto usually has pine nuts but you could add some extra toasted ones into the sauce. To add some greens you could mix through some chopped fresh spinach.

Pine nuts in pesto can easily be replaced by other nuts: walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and even sunflower seeds, are all a perfect pine nut replacement.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

Anything sugary will work: granulated white sugar, honey, fruit juices, even sweet dessert wines. Acid in the form of vinegar or citrus juices can make a pesto taste less bitter and could even enhance the flavour of the sauce at the same time.

Why is my pesto bland? It's likely because you need to add more basil or salt. You want your pesto to taste slightly too salty - that way when it's mixed with pasta the dish won't be bland.

Italian pine nuts are considered the finest in the world and are therefore eye-wateringly expensive. To make cost savings, many big producers source their pine nuts from China. Not a big issue, you might think, but these pine nuts are notorious for leaving a metallic aftertaste for some people, and that can last weeks.

Is it OK to eat pesto everyday? ›

You'll want to be mindful of the sodium content. Some jars have more than 500mg per serving and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend you eat no more than 2,300mg per day. It would be hard to stay within those guidelines if you get more than 20% of your sodium from pesto.

Pesto Sauce

This fresh and fragrant pasta sauce is served uncooked, so choose a pasta shape that won't overwhelm it. Similar to oil-based sauces, pesto is served best with longer cuts of pasta, like the corkscrew shape of Fusilli. Pesto works best with Bucatini, Capellini, thinner Spaghettini, and Fettuccine.

Pine nuts are classically used in pesto and toasting them before you add them allows their flavor to shine. Looking for a great recipe? Try adding them to Food Network Kitchen's Basil Pesto recipe.

No, you should never heat fresh pesto before adding it to pasta, although with the jarred alternative, we're a little more relaxed.

Pesto can be a bit on the chunky side, or almost like a uniform green paste. It really comes down to personal preferences or what you're using it for, but smoother pesto yields a better flavour and greener colour throughout whatever you toss it through.

BASIL, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, CANOLA OIL, PARMESAN CHEESE (CULTURED PART-SKIM MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), ROMANO CHEESE (CULTURED PART-SKIM COW'S MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), REDUCED LACTOSE WHEY, WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, PINE NUTS, GARLIC PUREE, WALNUTS, SALT, SPICE.

What is the difference between regular basil and pesto basil? There is no specific variety of basil called "pesto basil" - the term "pesto basil" usually refers to the type of basil used to make traditional Genovese pesto, which is typically made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

Pesto is flavorful and bright and can liven up vegetables, pizza, potatoes and pasta. It's also high in healthy fats, which help keep you satisfied. Fat may be higher in calories, but it also takes longer to digest (read: satisfying) and allows your body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K.

While traditional pesto alla Genovese typically includes non-vegetarian cheeses (including Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo), pesto by nature invites interpretation - feel free to substitute the traditional cheese for a vegetarian alternative.