Classic Basil Pesto Recipe - Taste of Italy

pesto sauce is a bright green sauce that derived from genoa which is the capital city of liguria, Italy. particularly pesto sauce traditionally made up of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, coarse salt, olive oil & hard cheese such as parmesan cheese ( also known as parmigiano-reggiano) or pecorina sardo cheese which is made from sheep's milk. The term ' pesto' is the past of the genoese verb ' pestare', which means ' to crush ' . fact is that pesto sauce is typically made by crushing all the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. However , In the kitchen department, blender is used to prepare the pesto sauce in place of mortar & pestle to make the work simplicity. pesto sauce is categorized under cold sauce as it does not required heat to prepare . It is the continental food and origin from Italy .

Ingredients                            

• Fresh basil                               100 gm
• Pine nuts                                 75 gm
• coarse salt                               To taste
• olive oil                                    60 ml
• Fresh garlic gloves                  3 cloves
• grated parmesan cheese        60 gm (almost)

Mortar & pestle method 

• Firstly, garlic cloves & pine nuts are placed into the wooden or marble mortar & crushed with pestle until get paste.
• Next, add fresh basil leaves and coarse salt & ground to a creamy consistency.
• Then, add grated parmesan cheese and also little extra-virgin olive oil to help to incorporate the cheese in the whole mixture. 

Blander method

• Add all the ingredients in the mixture machine and ground to creamy consistency .

Garnishing 

• well, pesto sauce is not a main dish, however, you can garnish it by topping fresh basil leaf and fine strip grated parmesan cheese while you are going to giving it along with main dish as a accompaniment.

Accompaniment 

• pesto sauce surprisingly excellent with grilled chicken, pork chops, chicken and even fish .

Taste & Flavor  

• Pesto sauce have garlicky, herby taste from the basil leaves and salty & rich from the pine nuts and cheeses.  

Storage

• pesto sauce have to be keep in a air-tight glass or plastic container, covered by a layer of olive oil like extra-virgin.
• pesto sauce can last in the chiller up to 7 days & can be frozen for later use.

uses 

• pesto sauce can be added in toast bread . 
• It can be replaced it with pizza sauce . 
• It is also used to prepared pasta such as pesto pasta. Don't forget that, the classic way to serve pesto pasta is to add  green beans & potato-often cooked together with the pasta all in the same fry pan.

Image credit : The above image credit goes to unsplash.com and gettyimage.com .

Terminology

• Blender : An electric machine that is used for making into liquid.
• creamy : Thick & smooth like cream .
• cold sauce : Sauce which is not required heat to prepared & serve chill .
• consistency : How thick or smooth a liquid substance is .
• Incorporate : To make something a part of something .
• Mortar & pestle : A small heavy bowl used when crushing food & pestle is a small heavy tool with a round end used for crushing food etc. into powder or paste .
• Extra-virgin olive oil : Good quality oil obtained from the first time that they are pressed .

Contact Information
Writer : Chef BBS
page : Culinarian Institute

Web : foodphotographing.com

Email : culinarianinstitute@gmail.com