Knowra Pesto Pesto Pesto is a sauce traditionally made by pounding basil, garlic, pine nuts, hard cheese, and olive oil into a paste. Its name comes from the Italian word for pounding.
Basil : Basil is an aromatic herb in the mint family, widely used in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Sweet, peppery basil gives the best-known pesto its defining herbal aroma.
Mortar and pestle : A mortar and pestle is a bowl and handheld tool used to crush, grind, and mix ingredients. The traditional tool crushes pesto ingredients while retaining a coarse, textured consistency.
Genoa : Genoa is a port city in Liguria, northwestern Italy, and the region’s capital. Pesto alla genovese is associated with Genoa and its surrounding area.
Trofie : Trofie are short, twisted pasta traditionally associated with Liguria. Their shape holds pesto, making them a classic pairing in Ligurian cooking.
Pesto alla calabrese : Pesto alla calabrese is a southern Italian sauce commonly made with roasted peppers, cheese, and ricotta. Its pepper-and-cheese base differs sharply from Genoese basil pesto.
Pine nut : A pine nut is the edible seed of certain pine trees. Pine nuts add richness and a soft, buttery texture to traditional pesto.
Food processor : A food processor is an electric kitchen appliance that chops, grinds, and mixes food with rotating blades. Its speed makes pesto quickly but can produce a more uniform texture than pounding.
Liguria : Liguria is a coastal region of northwestern Italy, bordered by the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. The traditional basil-and-pine-nut pesto belongs to Ligurian cuisine.
Trenette : Trenette are narrow, flat Ligurian pasta similar in shape to linguine. They are traditionally served with pesto, sometimes alongside potatoes and green beans.
Pistou : Pistou is a Provençal sauce of crushed basil, garlic, and olive oil, often served with soup. It resembles pesto but traditionally lacks pine nuts and hard cheese.
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