Liguria · Genova

Pesto alla genovese

Name: Pesto alla genovese
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian (Liguria)
Ingredients: 50 g young, small basil leaves (Basilico Genovese PDO); ½ glass of extra virgin olive oil (about 80 ml — preferably Ligurian, mild and not peppery); 6 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, grated (or Grana Padano PDO); 2 tbsp pecorino PDO, grated (traditionally Fiore Sardo); 2 cloves garlic (about one clove for every 30 basil leaves); 1 tbsp Mediterranean pine nuts (the consortium's standard allows European walnuts instead); coarse sea salt (a few grains)

Genoese basil pesto

Basil, garlic, pine nuts, two cheeses and olive oil, pounded in a marble mortar — the recipe of the Consorzio del Pesto Genovese.

Consortium or town standardSources checked · October 2026

Course: SugoSauce
Serves: 6
Hands-on: 25 min
Cooking: 10 min

La provenienza

Where this recipe comes from

Pesto takes its name from ‘pestare’, to pound. The name ‘pesto genovese’ has no EU protection, so the Consorzio del Pesto Genovese publishes a reference recipe and a production standard for makers who want to follow it; pesto is also on Liguria's list of traditional food products. Genoa holds a world championship of mortar-made pesto.

The basil itself, Basilico Genovese, has been a Protected Designation of Origin since 2005: young, small-leaved plants with no hint of mint.

Provenance: Consortium or town standardA reference recipe set by a protection consortium or by the town the dish is named after.
Defined by: Consorzio del Pesto Genovese
Reference: Consortium reference recipe; Basilico Genovese is a PDO
Sources: Consorzio del Pesto Genovese — official recipe, published with the consortium's permission (Mangiare in Liguria, Italian)
Il Fatto Alimentare — the consortium's recipe and production standard, and what the law does and does not protect (Italian)

Genova, Liguria

Ingredienti

Ingredients

6 servings

For 600 g of pasta

50 g young, small basil leaves (Basilico Genovese PDO)
½ glass of extra virgin olive oilabout 80 ml — preferably Ligurian, mild and not peppery
6 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, gratedor Grana Padano PDO
2 tbsp pecorino PDO, gratedtraditionally Fiore Sardo
2 cloves garlicabout one clove for every 30 basil leaves
1 tbsp Mediterranean pine nutsthe consortium's standard allows European walnuts instead
coarse sea salta few grains

Equipment

Marble mortar and wooden pestle — the consortium's method
Clean cotton cloth to dry the basil
Large pot for the pasta (about 6 l of water for 600 g)
Kitchen scale

Preparazione

Method

About 20 minutes in the mortar, then 10–15 minutes for the pasta. Make the pesto while the pasta water heats, and never cook it.

25 minhands-on
10 mincooking

The pesto

Official text

Hands-on 5 min

Rinse the basil leaves in cold water without squeezing them, then lay them on the cloth and pat them completely dry.

Tip Wet leaves make a pale, watery pesto that darkens quickly. Every leaf must be dry.
Official text

Hands-on 2 min

Put the garlic (about one clove for every 30 basil leaves) and the coarse salt in the mortar and crush them with the pestle into a cream.
Official text

Hands-on 2 min

Add the pine nuts and work them into the garlic until creamy.
Official text

Hands-on 10 min

Add the basil a few leaves at a time. Instead of pounding, rotate the pestle against the sides of the mortar with a slow, gentle circular movement, tearing the leaves rather than crushing them. Keep going until the basil has released a bright green liquid.

Check A bright green, creamy paste with no whole leaves left.

Tip Work at room temperature and steadily: basil starts to darken as soon as it is cut.
Official text

Hands-on 2 min

Work in the grated Parmigiano (or Grana Padano) and pecorino.
Official text

Hands-on 2 min

Pour in the olive oil drop by drop, stirring with the pestle, until the pesto is smooth and glossy.

Tip If you are not using it straight away, cover it with a thin layer of oil and keep it in the fridge for a day or two.

The pasta

Cooking 10–12 min

Cook the trofie or trenette in plenty of salted water (about 10 g per litre) until al dente. In Liguria, sliced potatoes and green beans are often cooked in the same pot — a tradition, not part of the consortium's recipe.

Check The pasta is al dente, with a little bite at the centre.
Official text

Hands-on 2 min

Put the pesto in a warm bowl and loosen it with 2–3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, toss it with the pesto and serve at once.

Tip Never heat pesto in a pan: the basil cooks, turns dark and loses its scent.

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Errori comuni

Common mistakes

Using a blender at high speed: the heat darkens the basil and makes it bitter.
Pounding hard: tear the leaves with a circular motion instead.
Using cashews, seed oils, cream or ricotta — they are not part of the recipe. (Walnuts in place of pine nuts are allowed.)

Fuori dall'Italia

Cooking it outside Italy

Choose the smallest, youngest basil leaves you can find; large-leaf basil tastes of mint and clove.
A mild, fruity olive oil works best: a strong, peppery oil overwhelms the basil.