Olivier Poels 5:40 p.m., August 26, 2021
It is in the north-west of Italy, in Liguria (around the city of Genoa) that pesto was born.
A skillful blend of basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and parmesan.
We find traces written in the 19th century in a dictionary which gives a recipe very close to that of today.
The oldest recipe for pesto derives from preparations based on basil that already existed during Roman times and which were believed to have healing properties.
In Italy it is used with what are called "primi", starters for us: with pasta or gnocchi.
The pesto must be made with a pestle.
Genovese pesto is a protected recipe and PDO ("alla genovese" is a variation, often with nuts).
The pesto rosso, made from sundried tomatoes, comes from Sicily.
Specifically from the city of Trapani.
As for the pesto, well known in Provence, it is a cousin in which we do not find either pine nuts or cheese in the recipe.
The radish leaf pesto recipe:
Ingredients:
- 50 gr of radish leaves
- 100 gr of pine nuts
- 100 gr of Parmesan
- 1 clove of garlic
- olive oil
1. Mix all the ingredients in the pestle
2. Pounding
3. Add a dash of olive oil