By Connor Forbes
Pesto originates from Genoa, Italy and was first published in La Cuciniera Genovese by Giovanni Battista Ratto. A form of pesto, Moretum, using different herbs dates to Ancient Rome. It came to America as a canned paste in 1944, and a recipe was published in America for the first time in Sunset Magazine by Angela Pellegrini in 1946.
So, when you eat pesto, you are eating history. Dang, history is delicious.
You can use Pesto in pasta, as a marinade, on top of meats and veggies, in sandwiches, on pizza, or any other way you want. It’s incredibly tasty and very versatile.
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
- 4 oz Basil
- 10 cloves garlic
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup Pine Nuts*
- ¼ Parmesan
- 1 tsp Salt
To Make
The traditional way is to crush all the ingredients together in a wooden pestle. But if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, or molcajete, throw all the ingredients together and blend until smooth. EAT!
*Pine Nuts are expensive; you can sub them out for cashews or peanuts for a more affordable option.
