First of all, to prepare our delicious Genovese pesto we dedicate ourselves to the care of the basil, remove all the leaves from the sprigs and place them in a colander, wash them under cold water and dry them very well using a cloth, being careful not to break them.
We take a mortar, possibly made of marble, and pour in the garlic cloves without the core and crush them very well until we obtain a creamy mixture, then add the pine nuts and crush them in the same way.
When we have reduced the pine nuts to cream, add the basil leaves, which must be very dry, and the coarse salt, crush everything again with circular movements always in the same direction.
Once we obtain a mixture with a fairly creamy consistency we can add the pecorino in small pieces and continue to crush everything in the same way, with circular movements and in the same direction, then add the Parmigiano Reggiano and carry out the same procedure.
Once the ingredients are well blended, add the oil and mix everything for a few more seconds, our Genovese pesto is now ready to be served
How to store pesto:
We can store the Genovese pesto in the refrigerator in an airtight jar for a maximum of 3-4 days.
Useful tips:
The quality of the ingredients is essential for a delicious pesto. Be sure to use fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, high-quality Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, and good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Before adding the pine nuts to the pesto, it is advisable to lightly toast them in a pan without oil over medium-low heat. This will help intensify the flavor and make them more fragrant.
The classic pesto recipe includes basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil, but you can experiment with the proportions of the ingredients to adapt the pesto to your tastes. For example, you can increase the amount of cheese for a richer flavor or reduce the amount of garlic for a milder flavor.