SAEDNEWS: Pesto alla Genovese — an authentic Italian pesto sauce from the Liguria region of Italy — offers visitors a vivid taste of regional cuisine: a bright, herb-forward condiment made from fresh basil, nuts, Parmesan and olive oil, perfect for pasta, salads and sandwiches.
Pesto is one of Italy’s famous sauces, highly popular across Italy and very quick and easy to prepare. Pesto is used for pastas, salads, sandwiches and more.
The original pesto is made from Italian basil and pine nuts, which can be hard to find; for this reason you can substitute regular basil for Italian basil and use walnuts, peanuts or other nuts in place of pine nuts.
Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, but because it contains fresh basil, it will change color and darken with long storage or exposure to heat. To keep pesto a bright green and attractive color, it’s best to prepare it fresh at the time of use.
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Servings | 2 people |
Preparation Time | 15 minutes |
Cooking Time | 0 minutes |
Calories | 628 kcal |
Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
Fresh green basil leaves | 2 cups |
Pine nuts or walnuts | 1/2 cup |
Parmesan cheese | 1/2 cup |
Salt and black pepper | To taste |
Olive oil | 1/2 cup |
Garlic | 3 cloves |
Lemon juice (optional) | 1 teaspoon |
Place the washed basil leaves together with the garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese into a food processor or blender and pulse until mixed.
Then add the olive oil, lemon juice (if using), salt and pepper and blend until everything is fully combined.
Your pesto sauce is ready.
All ingredients in the pesto — except Parmesan cheese — are traditionally considered warm and dry in temperament; therefore, the overall temperament of this dish is classified as warm.
Benefits :
The ingredients in pesto are nutritious and have many benefits.
Basil benefits: strengthens the stomach and intestines; calming; heart-strengthening; disinfects the mouth and digestive tract; anti-diarrheal; carminative (relieves gas); anti-inflammatory; relieves headaches; laxative; appetite stimulant; aids digestion; galactagogue (may increase milk production), and more.
Olive oil benefits: good for heart, skin and hair health; aids digestion; helps prevent stroke; relieves digestive problems; can help treat depression; supports memory; relieves pain; prevents wrinkles; treats dry hair; helps treat foot odor, and more.
Walnut benefits: heart health; brain health; boosts the immune system; supports bone health and may help lower breast cancer risk; improves sleep; preserves digestive system function; delays premature aging, and more.
Garlic benefits: reduces symptoms of cold and cough; lowers blood pressure; reduces cholesterol levels; strengthens the immune system; helps regulate blood sugar; supports bone health; helps prevent fatty liver; assists in weight loss, and more.
