A recipe for embracing simplicity
Italians follow an unwritten rule: don’t overcomplicate food. No need to get fancy. Just the essence. A handful of good ingredients, prepared with care. And most importantly: knowing when to stop. Nothing shows that better than pesto alla genovese. Or, as the people of Liguria (where pesto originally comes from) call it: the king of sauces.
The word pesto comes from pestare and means “to pound.” Which, let’s be honest, is the most accurate recipe title ever. Because that’s all you need to do: smash, grind, crush, repeat.
Combine that with just seven ingredients (basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, Pecorino, olive oil, and salt) and you’d think nothing could go wrong. But oh yes, it can…
Pesto is all about balance. Too much garlic? Say hello to a table for one. Too much cheese? Suddenly it’s less Italy and more Mexico. So yes, there are a few pesto non-negotiables:
- Small basil leaves only.
- Raw pine nuts. Always. Roasted pine nuts in pesto? Let’s not even talk about it.
- Fresh garlic. But honestly, that goes for every dish.
- Good quality cheese.
And the most important rule of all: use the right olive oil. If you’re going Genovese with your pesto, do it right and use Ligurian olive oil: fruity and green. Makes your pesto taste like spring itself.
Ask ten Italians about pesto and you’ll be dragged into a heated discussion about the sacred order of ingredients. I was taught to start with garlic and salt, then add basil, pine nuts, the cheeses and finally finish with olive oil.
To make the sauce, you could reach for the blender. I won’t stop you. Please keep it slow and give your sauce a few breaks. Otherwise, the heat messes with the basil’s aroma. And no one wants sad basil. But if you’re up for it, take the traditional route: mortar and pestle. Crushing basil by hand might sound like hard work, but it’s actually kind of zen. Meditative. Therapeutic, even.
What I used
✦ Around 50 small, young basil leaves
✦ A glove of garlic
✦ Tablespoon of pine nuts
✦ Two tablespoons of Parmesan
✦ One spoon of Pecorino (mild one)
✦ Around 3 tablespoons of olive oil (EVOO)
✦ Pinch of sea salt
How I made it (but feel to follow your own order of ingredients)
✦ First things first: I rinsed the basil leaves and dried them gently. No pressure, they’re delicate.
✦ I crushed the garlic in the mortar and added a pinch of salt.
✦ Then I added the basil and kept pounding. Tip: use circular movements too, working with the side of the mortar.
✦ I tossed in the pine nuts, the two cheeses and just one tablespoon of olive oil.
✦ When it reached a creamy consistency, I spooned it into a small bowl and added the rest of the olive oil just enough to bring everything together.
If you want to store your pesto, make sure it’s always covered with a layer of olive oil. Kept this way, it will stay fresh in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Extra pesto non-negotiable
Pesto is a cold sauce. Heating it? Big no. Just toss it with your pasta at the very last minute and enjoy
Your turn
We all learn cooking in our own way. From our mothers, our grandfathers, a holiday abroad or a happy accident at home. These moments shape your taste, the ingredients shape your style. But taste and style are not fixed; they move along with the rhythm of your life.
A meal is never just a meal. It’s a memory. A moment. Your moment. So don’t think of recipes as strict rules. Think of them as gentle directions, little suggestions along the way. A here-and-now moment. And it's entirely yours. Because nobody tastes what you taste. Play with food, dance in your kitchen and find your own taste.