Italian Pesto sauce is an excellent alternative to the usual for us ketchup and mayonnaise. Easy to prepare Pesto sauce is well combined with meat, fish dishes and salads. The classic version of Pesto sauce is a kind of base, to which you can add various ingredients depending on what dish it will serve.
Pesto sauce has an ancient history. The first mention of it refers to the times of the Roman Empire, and in the nineteenth century the Pesto sauce became a traditional Italian dish. His homeland is the city of Genoa, in which today this sauce is prepared everywhere. The use of Pesto sauce in Italy is very wide, but most often it can be seen in combination with pasta or pasta. In modern Italy, pasta and spaghetti with Pesto sauce are considered a traditional dish.
In the classic version of Pesto sauce, a marble mortar and a wooden pestle are used to mix the ingredients. The name of the Pesto sauce came from the Italian verb "pestare", which means "rubbing, mixing". Modern cooks often neglect this custom and use a blender.
Recipe for preparation of classic Pesto sauce
Ingredients:
- 20 grams of fresh basil;
- 2 cloves garlic;
- 4 tablespoons pine seeds;
- 150 ml of olive oil;
- 50 grams of Pecorino cheese;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation
Basil, garlic, pine seeds and olive oil must be mixed and ground until smooth. To the received weight it is necessary to add salt and pepper. Next to the sauce should be added grated cheese, mix everything well and serve with a prepared dish in advance.
Seeds of pine and Pecorino cheese are quite expensive ingredients, which are not sold in every store. Therefore, in many modern recipes for Pesto sauce, pine seeds are replaced with cashew nuts, and Pecorino cheese is cheaper. Most often, Parmesan cheese is used to make the sauce. Often replaced and olive oil for ordinary sunflower. In these cases, the resulting sauce only remotely resembles a real Pesto. The main similarity with the original is in the green color of the sauce. Nevertheless, all these options are terrific tasty and well combined with a variety of dishes.
What do you eat Pesto with?
Pesto sauce can be filled with a wide variety of dishes. In addition to pasta, the sauce can be used to prepare the following dishes:
- fish with Pesto sauce. Salmon fillets or cod should be smeared with Pesto sauce and bake in the oven until cooked. The fish turns out to be piquant and at the same time very delicate to taste;
- pizza with Pesto sauce. Pesto sauce perfectly replaces the traditional pizza tomato sauce;
- vegetables with Pesto sauce. Vegetables, baked in the oven or cooked on the grill, should be served with freshly prepared Pesto sauce;
- salad with Pesto sauce. Pesto sauce can be filled with any salad instead of mayonnaise or vegetable oil;
- meat with Pesto sauce. The sauce perfectly complements fried and baked meat. Also, it can be used as a marinade for meat.
Macaroni with Pesto sauce is a simple way to turn a familiar dish into a real culinary masterpiece. The sauce adds piquancy and an unusual flavor. For those who do not have time to prepare Pesto sauce, there is an opportunity to purchase ready-made sauce in the supermarket. It is sold in small jars, but, unfortunately, has a less saturated flavor than freshly prepared ones.
It is believed that it was thanks to Pesto sauce that the pasta and spaghetti were the favorite dish of the Italians.