Classic Genovese basil pesto
The real thing — mortar and pestle, no blender. Freezer-friendly for winter use. Traditional pairing: trofie pasta with green beans and potatoes.
Ingredients for 4
Method
- I
Rinse the basil leaves gently, pat completely dry — bruised or wet basil turns muddy.
- II
In a mortar, crush the garlic with the salt into a paste.
- III
Add the pine nuts, pound to a coarse paste.
- IV
Add the basil leaves a handful at a time, grinding with a circular motion (not pounding — that oxidizes them) until you have a bright green paste.
- V
Work in the cheeses.
- VI
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, stirring with the pestle, until the pesto is loose but spoonable.
- VII
Taste and adjust salt.
Botanical context
This recipe is indexed as a culinary use note, not a supplement protocol. When a featured plant is also used in herbal traditions, PlantSage keeps the food preparation separate from medicinal dosage advice so readers can enjoy the recipe without confusing a kitchen quantity with a therapeutic serving.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the main botanical reference for this page. Check the linked plant profile for identification notes, cautions, and cultivation context before foraging or substituting fresh material. Use properly identified edible material, avoid contaminated harvest sites, and treat unfamiliar plants as ingredients that require the same care as any other food. If you substitute dried herbs for fresh, wild plants for cultivated ones, or concentrated extracts for whole ingredients, start conservatively because flavour, bitterness, and tolerance can change quickly.
Notes & variations
If you must use a food processor, pulse briefly and use ice cubes to keep the blades cold — heat turns basil black. Store with a thin film of oil on top and use within 3 days, or freeze in ice-cube trays.
Featured from the herbarium
1 plant
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