Authentic home cooking from Italy, with US measurements. 
Basil Pesto (Genoese Style)
Genoese pesto is a well-known sauce made with just a few ingredients (basil, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese). It's usually used to dress pasta, but you can also add it to cooked vegetables, spread it on appetizers, or stir it into soups and minestrone, etc.
If you don't make it carefully and with a few tricks, the sauce can turn dark and lose its bright green color, even though it will still taste good. The vibrant green color is the sign of a well-made pesto.
Basil turns dark because of certain substances called polyphenols, which are also found in apples, eggplants, and mushrooms. These molecules oxidize quickly with heat and cause browning.
Basil Pesto (Genoese Style)
Genoese pesto is a well-known sauce made with just a few ingredients (basil, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese). It's usually used to dress pasta, but you can also add it to cooked vegetables, spread it on appetizers, or stir it into soups and minestrone, etc.
If you don't make it carefully and with a few tricks, the sauce can turn dark and lose its bright green color, even though it will still taste good. The vibrant green color is the sign of a well-made pesto.
Basil turns dark because of certain substances called polyphenols, which are also found in apples, eggplants, and mushrooms. These molecules oxidize quickly with heat and cause browning.
Open in Cookpad AppSteps
- 1
Remove the basil leaves from the stems and quickly but gently rinse them under cold running water. Dry them thoroughly. Place the leaves in the coldest part of your refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour to let them dry completely.
- 2
After 1 hour, put the basil leaves and all the other ingredients (except the grated Parmesan) into a food processor. Pulse in short bursts so the machine doesn't heat up, and process until the mixture is slightly chunky. (We like it this way, but you can make it smoother if you prefer.)
- 3
Remove the pesto from the food processor, stir in the grated Parmesan, and transfer to a container. Cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation, and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- 4
You can freeze any extra pesto in a container with a thin layer of olive oil on top. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. After thawing, it may darken slightly, but it will still taste great.
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