Pesto Ligure is a cold sauce made from basil, grated Pecorino and Parmigiano cheeses, garlic, Ligure olive oil and coarse salt. It is a specialty of the region of Liguria, famous worldwide for its fresh and aromatic flavor. Perfect to use as a pasta sauce or to spread on toasted bread.
Thoroughly wash the basil leaves under cold running water and let them air-dry spread out on a cloth
Place them in a dry mortar, add the salt and the garlic cloves, and begin to pound with the wooden pestle
Do not strike with the pestle but crush firmly, avoiding blows in the mortar
Then add a little cheese at a time, alternating the two types, and when you have obtained a homogeneous mixture, stream the olive oil in a thin thread while mixing with a wooden spatula until you get a smooth, creamy compound
It is a mistake to remove the pesto from the mortar to add the oil because part of the basil's fragrance remains on the mortar's walls; therefore adding the oil in the same vessel absorbs all the aroma (to obtain a good pesto the quality of the basil is very important: it should be curly and Ligure, as should the quality of the oil which should always be chosen extra-virgin)
If desired it is also possible to prepare the pesto using a blender which simplifies the preparation and can give moderately good results; in this case place the oil and the basil
Mortar and pestle
Wooden spoon
Italia, Liguria
| Energy (kcal) | 402.58 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 2.49 |
| of which Sugars (g) | 2.49 |
| Fat (g) | 39.86 |
| of which Saturates (g) | 8.35 |
| Protein (g) | 7.49 |
| Fiber (g) | 2.34 |
| Sale (g) | 0.23 |
