Pesto Genovese is a traditional uncooked Italian basil sauce made with just seven authentic ingredients: Genovese basil DOP, extra virgin olive oil (preferably from the Ligurian Riviera), Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano), Pecorino Fiore Sardo, pine nuts, garlic, and salt.
This famous Italian pesto recipe originates from Liguria, a stunning coastal region in northern Italy. It is one of the most popular sauces in Italian cuisine and has become famous worldwide.
The recipe shared here follows the official guidelines of the Consorzio Pesto Genovese, which specifies the traditional ingredients and their origins. We understand that finding all the original ingredients may be difficult outside of Italy. However, if you want to make a truly authentic pesto Genovese recipe, try to stick as closely as possible to the traditional components.
One of the biggest mistakes in many online recipes is adding non-traditional ingredients like ricotta cheese, cashew nuts, seed oil, green beans, or lemon juice—these have nothing to do with the real pesto alla Genovese!
If you can’t find Genovese basil, use the best fresh basil available in your country. Or even better—grow your own basil at home! It’s easy, and with the right seeds (preferably Genovese basil variety), you can enjoy the freshest, most flavorful pesto possible.
Now, let’s go step by step and see how to make the best homemade pesto Genovese!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Mins | Cook Time: 0 Mins | Servings: 6
- 50 g of basil leaves (about 60-65 leaves)
- ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil. Try this EVO Oil from Liguria
- 70 g (¾ cup) of Parmigiano Reggiano
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) of Pecorino Fiore Sardo
- 2 garlic cloves
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) of pine nuts
- 4-5 grains of coarse salt
- ice
Instructions
Step 1) - Here’s a simple trick to maintain the vibrant green color of your pesto Genovese. Place the blades and bowl of your food processor in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes until they are very cold.
Meanwhile, wash the basil leaves under cold running water, then transfer them to a large bowl filled with ice water for 3–4 minutes. This step helps preserve the basil’s fresh color and prevents oxidation.
Step 2) - Once the basil has chilled, pat it completely dry using a kitchen towel (this is crucial—wet basil can cause oxidation and darken the pesto).
Place the basil into the chilled food processor along with garlic, pine nuts, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. If you follow these tips, you’ll achieve a beautifully green pesto sauce.
Step 3) - Pulse the ingredients coarsely for a few seconds. Then add the salt and the Pecorino Fiore Sardo, cut into small pieces. Blend everything for about 1 minute until well combined.
Next, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and continue blending for about 5 minutes, until you achieve a creamy, smooth, and bright green pesto sauce.
Important Tip: Pesto should never overheat during blending, as heat can alter the flavor and darken the color. To prevent this:
- Use the lowest speed on your food processor.
- Blend in short pulses, stopping frequently to avoid friction heat.
Step 4) - If the pesto seems too thick before serving, add 1–2 tablespoons of pasta cooking water to achieve a smooth, velvety consistency. This helps the sauce coat the pasta evenly while keeping its fresh aroma.
Besides being the perfect sauce for trofie, trenette, or gnocchi, pesto Genovese is also delicious as a spread on toasted bread for an easy appetizer. Give it a try—it’s absolutely irresistible!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Trofie al Pesto Genovese
- Pesto Lasagna with Green Beans and Potatoes
- Arugula Pesto Recipe
- Linguine al Pesto with Red Shrimp Tartare and Lemon
How to make Pesto Genovese with a Mortar and Pestle
Traditionally, authentic Pesto Genovese is made with a marble mortar and pestle, a method that naturally preserves the bright green color of the basil and enhances its flavor.
If you prefer the traditional method and want to make authentic Pesto Genovese using a mortar and pestle, here is how to do it.
- Start by washing the basil leaves and drying them thoroughly to prevent oxidation.
- Place the peeled garlic cloves in the marble mortar with the coarse salt and crush it into a paste using the pestle.
- Add the pine nuts and continue pounding until you get a slightly coarse mixture.
- Gradually add the basil leaves, pressing and rotating the pestle gently to release their essential oils without overheating them.
- Once the basil is well blended, mix in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Fiore Sardo, incorporating them smoothly.
- Finally, drizzle in extra virgin olive oil a little at a time, stirring with the pestle until the pesto reaches a creamy, homogeneous consistency.
This traditional method requires patience but enhances the pesto’s aroma and preserves its bright green color.
Storage
To store pesto Genovese properly and maintain its fresh flavor and vibrant green color, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.
Before sealing the container, cover the surface of the pesto with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil. This helps prevent oxidation and keeps the sauce from darkening.
For longer storage, freezing pesto is a great option. Divide it into small glass jars or use an ice cube tray to freeze individual portions. This way, you can thaw only what you need without defrosting the entire batch.
When ready to use, let the pesto defrost slowly in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Avoid microwaving or heating directly, as this can alter its fresh taste and color.
To refresh the flavor, you can mix in a drizzle of fresh extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Tips
To achieve the perfect authentic pesto alla Genovese, follow these essential tips:
Use Fresh Genovese Basil - The best pesto starts with high-quality DOP Genovese basil, known for its small, delicate leaves and intense aroma. If you can’t find it, choose sweet basil with a mild, non-spicy flavor.
Keep Everything Cold - Heat is pesto’s worst enemy! Use ice water to refresh the basil leaves. This prevents oxidation and keeps the pesto bright green.
Dry the Basil Thoroughly - Pat the basil leaves completely dry with a kitchen towel. Any excess water can darken the pesto and dilute its flavor.
Use the Right Cheese Combination - The traditional recipe includes a mix of Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano) and Pecorino Fiore Sardo. This balance of nutty and tangy flavors is key to an authentic taste.
Choose High-Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Use a mild, fruity extra virgin olive oil. A strong or peppery oil can overpower the delicate basil flavor.
Blend at Low Speed and in Short Bursts – Overheating ruins the texture and flavor. Use a low-speed setting, blending in short intervals to keep the pesto cool.
By following these tips, you’ll make perfect homemade Genovese pesto with an authentic taste, creamy texture, and vibrant green color—just like in Liguria!
History
The origins of pesto alla Genovese are rooted in history and legend. The name “pesto” comes from the traditional method of crushing basil, pine nuts, and olive oil in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle.
While many believe it to be an ancient recipe, the first written record of pesto Genovese dates back to 1870, in Giovanni Battista Ratto’s book La Cucina Genovese. His recipe included basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano, Dutch cheese, and butter, all crushed and mixed with olive oil.
Though the modern version is relatively recent, Liguria has a long tradition of using crushed herbs in cooking.
Some historians suggest that pesto evolved from agliata, a garlic-based sauce popular in 13th-century northern Italy due to its preservative properties.
One legend attributes pesto’s creation to a monk in the Monastery of San Basilio in Prà, who crushed basil and other herbs in a mortar, similar to how he prepared medicinal mixtures.
Others trace its origins back to ancient Rome, where Virgil’s "moretum" described a sauce of cheese, parsley, and oil crushed in a mortar, possibly an early version of what later became pesto.
Regardless of its precise origins, pesto Genovese has become one of Italy’s most iconic sauces, celebrated worldwide for its fresh, vibrant flavor and deep connection to Ligurian culinary traditions.
Recipe Card
Pesto alla Genovese (Authentic Italian Basil Pesto Recipe)
Ingredients
- 50 g basil - about 60-65 leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 70 g Parmigiano Reggiano - ¾ cup
- 30 g Pecorino Fiore Sardo - 1 oz
- 2 cloves of garlic - peeled
- 15 g pine nuts - 1 tablespoon
- 4-5 grains coarse salt
- ice
Instructions
- Here’s a simple trick to maintain the vibrant green color of your pesto Genovese. Place the blades and bowl of your food processor in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes until they are very cold.
- Meanwhile, wash the basil leaves under cold running water, then transfer them to a large bowl filled with ice water for 3–4 minutes. This step helps preserve the basil’s fresh color and prevents oxidation.
- Once the basil has chilled, pat it completely dry using a kitchen towel (this is crucial—wet basil can cause oxidation and darken the pesto).
- Place the basil into the chilled food processor along with garlic, pine nuts, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. If you follow these tips, you’ll achieve a beautifully green pesto sauce.
- Pulse the ingredients coarsely for a few seconds. Then add the salt and the Pecorino Fiore Sardo, cut into small pieces. Blend everything for about 1 minute until well combined.
- Next, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and continue blending for about 5 minutes, until you achieve a creamy, smooth, and bright green pesto sauce.
Jim Farley says
Use this recipe all the time. It's perfect!
John Ford says
What do you mean by 4/5 grains coarse salt? Are you calling out 4 or 5 grains of salt or are you referring to a mass of 0.8 grains?
Barbara says
Hi John,
to make pesto you need very little salt because the cheeses are already very tasty. The use of coarse salt (4 maximum 5 grains or kernels or little piecies) refers mainly to pesto made with a mortar. In fact, during mortar processing the coarse salt grains act as a hygroscopic factor, absorbing vegetation water and preventing blackening of the leaf. If you make pesto with a blender, you can replace the coarse salt with fine salt, but I assure you that the bits of salt you feel in your mouth along with the basil and cheeses are a delight!
Pammy says
Having just coming home from Italy I noticed the cheese ratio to domestic pesto is incredible. Genovese pesto tastes more cheesy and has a pungent basil flavor. In the US it’s more oily. I can’t wait to try this recipe once my basil plant gets bigger.
Vicky P says
Just made this Pesto...oh my goodness... absolutely amazing taste.. thanks for sharing
KH says
Love the technique to keep it green but the recipe is a little off...such a big amount of cheese to basil/pinenuts ... the cheese overwhelms the basil. I will use the technique again but not the recipe, sadly. I am always trying new recipes to see how they compare. Thanks for the tip about the cooling of the tools and basil.
Yoko says
I have made pesto sauce for years, but I never got beautiful green color like the one with your recipe. I am so happy to find this recipe. You show how to make pesto greener. This is a game-changer! Thank you for your tip.
Barbara says
Thank you Yoko!
Fredo's Ghost says
This was great for the chilling technique. Might as well cool your olive oil down a bit too.
Lightly toasting and then chilling the pine nuts is worth the effort and probably shouldn't be left out.
Also I found myself running out to the basil plants mid-recipe because the cheese proportion here is really large - makes a pastel milk-green pesto. Used a digital food scale to weigh by the gram. Possibly California Sweet basil just needs about 40% more by weight then Genovese Basil, but that seems unlikely.
Pecorino Romano (sheep's milk) from Italy worked well as a 1:1 substitute by weight for the harder to find stuff.
To lilo nido, freezing works best. Put fresh pesto in a zip top freezer bag, squeeze every last bit of air out, and place in bottom coldest part of freezer. Use a big bag so it freezes fast into a thin "sheet" of pesto.
Gionni says
Try freezing your pesto in an ice cube tray covered with plastic wrap. Once the pesto is frozen (I just wait for a day), transfer to a freezer bag. Vacuum seal with appropriate (freezer) bags for optimum freshness and longer storage.
This way your pesto is already portioned* and it's easier to deal with like this. I do not find a sheet of frozen pesto particularly easy to deal with at all.
*For most uses I've encountered, one ice cube is one portion for one person, unless you're doing the classic, simple pasta with pesto in which case I use two ice cubes of pesto for the amount of pasta I consider a single portion.
P.S. If you want your pesto to freeze as quickly as possible (and you should!), the best place to put the ice cube tray is as close to where the vent where the cold air blows out. It can't get any colder anywhere else in the freezer and the blowing air cools and freezes your pesto as quickly as possible (think about 'wind chill factor' temperatures in the winter).
lilo nido says
Thank you for the pesto recipe. Is there a special advice for preserving (canning) pesto so it can be stored in little jars like the one we can buy in a delicatessen store?
We are using fresh basil from the garden, extra virgin olive oil and the ingredients from your recipe.
Fredo's Ghost says
Freezing works best! See comment just after yours for more specifics.