Announcing the Milk Street Online Cooking School — Access classes anytime, anywhere!

The Complete Milk Street TV Show Cookbook

Mstv Cookbook 2 Signed Final 4

New Season. New Recipes. New Book. Signed Editions available now!

Milk Street Recipe
Milk Street Bowtie Pesto alla Genovese

Pesto alla Genovese

30 minutes

Free

Good-quality cheese is essential for rich, full-flavored pesto. Seek out true Italian Parmesan, as well as pecorino Sardo, a sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia. If you can't find pecorino Sardo, don't use pecorino romano, which is too strong; instead, opt for Manchego, a Spanish sheep's milk cheese. Roughly chopping the basil by hand before adding it to the food processor minimizes the mechanical action needed to break down the leaves so the pesto won't become too smooth. To store pesto, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Featured in

1 3/4 ounces Parmesan cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces
1 ounce pecorino Sardo cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 ounces (about 5 cups lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
Ingredients
  • 1¾

    ounces Parmesan cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces

  • 1

    ounce pecorino Sardo cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces

  • ¼

    cup pine nuts

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  • Kosher salt

  • ⅓

    cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2½

    ounces (about 5 cups lightly packed) fresh basil leaves

Pesto alla Genovese
Directions
  1. 01
    In a food processor, process both cheeses until broken into rough marble-sized pieces, about 10 seconds, then pulse until they have the texture of coarse sand, 5 to 10 pulses, scraping the bowl as needed. Transfer to a small bowl.
  2. 02
    In the food processor, combine the pine nuts, garlic and ¾ teaspoon salt. Process until a smooth, peanut butter–like paste forms, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the cheeses and about ½ of the oil and process until mostly smooth, 10 to 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed; the mixture should hold together when pressed against the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  3. 03
    Using a chef's knife, roughly chop the basil, then add to the food processor. Pulse about 10 times, scraping the bowl several times, until the basil is finely chopped and well combined with the cheese mixture. Add the remaining oil and pulse just until incorporated, about 2 pulses. The pesto should be thick, creamy and spreadable.
Tip: Don't toast the pine nuts. In Italy, the pine nuts for pesto are used raw. Don't be tempted to add all the ingredients at once to the food processor. Adding them in stages ensures the pesto has the correct consistency and texture, and that it won't end up thin and watery, the result of overprocessing.
In the store
Become a Member

Simple, Bold Recipes

Subscribe
Down arrow

Pesto alla Genovese

Get Ready to Cook

1

cup

30 minutes

Tip

Don't toast the pine nuts. In Italy, the pine nuts for pesto are used raw. Don't be tempted to add all the ingredients at once to the food processor. Adding them in stages ensures the pesto has the correct consistency and texture, and that it won't end up thin and watery, the result of overprocessing.

Ingredients
  • 1¾

    ounces Parmesan cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces

  • 1

    ounce pecorino Sardo cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces

  • ¼

    cup pine nuts

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  • Kosher salt

  • ⅓

    cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2½

    ounces (about 5 cups lightly packed) fresh basil leaves

Step 1 of 3

Process the cheese

1¾
ounces Parmesan cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces
1
ounce pecorino Sardo cheese (without rind), chopped into rough 1-inch pieces

In a food processor, process both cheeses until broken into rough marble-sized pieces, about 10 seconds, then pulse until they have the texture of coarse sand, 5 to 10 pulses, scraping the bowl as needed. Transfer to a small bowl.

Step 2 of 3

Process the pine nuts and garlic

¼
cup pine nuts
2
medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
¾
teaspoon kosher salt
⅙
cup extra-virgin olive oil

In the food processor, combine the pine nuts, garlic and ¾ teaspoon salt. Process until a smooth, peanut butter–like paste forms, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the cheeses and about ½ of the oil and process until mostly smooth, 10 to 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed; the mixture should hold together when pressed against the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Step 3 of 3

Add the basil

2½
ounces (about 5 cups lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
⅙
cup extra-virgin olive oil

Using a chef's knife, roughly chop the basil, then add to the food processor. Pulse about 10 times, scraping the bowl several times, until the basil is finely chopped and well combined with the cheese mixture. Add the remaining oil and pulse just until incorporated, about 2 pulses. The pesto should be thick, creamy and spreadable.

Milk Street Bowtie Logo

Done!

Did you enjoy this recipe?

Want more?

See More Recipes
Pesto alla Genovese
Pesto alla Genovese
Loading