Everything You Need to Know About Making and Using Pesto
Pesto is a delicious sauce made from nuts, oil, parmesan cheese, and basil.
It was born in Italy and has since made its way to most corners of the globe. It has been a favorite sauce by many chefs. But how exactly did pesto come to be?
Read on for everything you need to know about the pesto sauce.
Where Pesto Came From
Pesto’s roots can be traced back to Genoa.
The Italian word pesto has roots from the Latin word petus, which refers to the pounding of a sauce. One of the early documented cases of pesto was in Genoa, Italy during the 18th century.
It was served to Genovese sailors during pestos, which was a gathering of people to eat and drink.
Their pesto back then was a cold sauce made from basil, garlic, pine tree nuts, and cheese, all mixed with olive oil. It was called ancient Genovese sauce.
It was a popular sauce that was carried by Genovese sailors during their voyages as it helped preserve their herb supply. It also provided ample amounts of protein from the pine nuts.
Today, pesto is a cold sauce and is used as a condiment. It is also made from basil, pine nuts, and cheese, along with garlic. But today, there are variations. These variations include adding arugula, pine nuts, and olive oil.
What Are the Basic Ingredients Needed for Making Pesto at Home
The basic ingredients to make pesto at home are simply basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese.
The basic ingredients in pesto are:
Basil
Parmesan
Pine nuts
Olive oil
Garlic
Sea salt
You can also add other fresh herbs or nuts. Just make sure that you blend everything thoroughly.
How to Make Pesto in Your Home Kitchen
Usually, the traditional recipe for making pesto is by hand using mortar and pestle. It does not need to be done in a food processor. However, if you want to save time, use a food processor instead.
Here are the basic steps of making your own pesto sauce using a blender.
1. Select a bunch of basil. The best basil for making pesto is the Genovese basil. This is because the leaves are darker than other kinds. It has an earthy flavor and aroma that is perfect for pesto.
The other types of basil that can be used are Thai and Holy Genovese.
2. Cut the leaves and place them in a food processor or a blender. The leaves can be left whole or chopped depending on your preference.
3. Add cheese, pine nuts, and garlic. Use parmesan cheese, unless you are making vegetarian or vegan pesto.
4. Add olive oil. The suggested amount is 3 parts oil to 1 part pine nuts.
5. Blend everything. Just to make sure that everything is blended well.
6. Add salt and pepper to your desired taste.
7. Serve. The pesto sauce is best served with a slice of crusty bread or a bowl of pasta.
Here are the basic steps of making your own pesto sauce by pounding.
1. Start by crushing sea salt and garlic together until they soften.
2. Next, add the pine nuts and then crush them.
3. It goes with the basil leaves, crushing them gently on the side of the mortar.
4. Finally, add parmesan cheese and add an ample amount of olive oil until you get a smooth, amalgamated solution.
Why Use Pesto
Pesto is a sauce that can be used as a spread or a dip, or even as a dressing. It is great as a condiment and it can be used as a sauce, supplement or condiment.
It has a zesty flavor that blends well with pasta, bread as well as toasts. It also works well with other dishes.
Pesto can be served with grilled chicken, potatoes, fish, vegetables, and even stirred with scrambled eggs.
Conclusion
Pesto is a delicious sauce that is loved by many. It is a great condiment that can be used in a lot of ways. Pesto is something that you will surely enjoy and will want to add to your own recipe collection.
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