What is pesto sauce made of?

Answer 1

Take about 2 cups of loosely packed basil leave, 2 tablespoons of pine nuts or chopped walnuts, 1 garlic clove, and the juice of one lemon and put them all in a blender. Start the blender and drizzle in olive oil until you get a chuncky paste (don't try to make it smooth). Then add about 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and blend just to incorporate the cheese. Taste and add salt as you like.

Answer 2

Pesto alla genovese is made with Genovese basil, salt, garlic, Ligurian extra virgin olive oil (Taggiasco), European pine nuts (often toasted) and a grated hard cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano (but which may be Grana Padano, Pecorino Sardo or Pecorino Romano).[3] Historically, pesto is prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. The leaves are washed, dried, placed in the mortar with garlic and coarse salt, and crushed to a creamy consistency. The pine nuts are added and crushed together with the other ingredients. When the nuts are well-incorporated into the "cream", grated cheese or olive oil can be added and mixed with a wooden spoon. In a tight jar (or simply in an air-tight plastic container), pesto can last in the refrigerator up to a week, and can also be frozen for later use. Commercial pesto is commonly available in supermarkets in either green (original) or red (with sun-dried tomatoes or red bell peppers) varieties, produced by major manufacturers or under a 'generic' or 'cheaper' brand. Cashew nuts or walnuts are often used instead of pine nuts, because they are less expensive and have a similar texture. Cheaper oils may also be used. Pesto is commonly used on pasta, traditionally with Mandilli de Sæa (Genovese dialect - literally "silk handkerchiefs" - for lasagna)[4], strozzapreti or trenette. It is sometimes used in minestrone. It is important never to cook pesto because basil gets bitter when heated. Pesto is sometimes served on sliced beef, tomatoes and sliced boiled potatoes.

Answer 3

Traditional Pesto ingredients are:

1. Basil leaves

2. Pine nuts (in some pesto versions raw pine nuts are used, toasted pine nuts in other versions, while some omit nuts completely or substitute with other nuts)

3. Olive oil, mostly EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) is used to enhance the taste.

4. Salt and pepper

5. Garlic

6. Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (in some pesto versions other local or more preferred varieties of cheese are used as substitutions)

All pounded or crushed together to make a yummy pesto! Then there is mint pesto where basil leaves are replaced with mint leaves and coriander pesto with coriander leaves and more such variations.

Answer 4

It is very easy, all you have to do is get the following ingredients and put them in a food processor and you are done:

3 tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 cup water

Serve it serves 6

Answer 5

The three main ingredients to a pesto sauce are herbs, cheese and nuts as per the ancient documents.

However argument remains that garlic or oil instead of cheese or nuts are one of the three main ingredients. A traditional pesto sauce is incomplete without basil, cheese, garlic, pine nuts, salt and oil all crushed together to make a paste/sauce.

Answer 6

Pesto is a sauce from Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy which is often used for pasta or meat dishes.

Answer 7

Basil is the herb used to make pesto.

Answer 8

Basil