Homemade Pesto Genovese — It Stays Green with One Trick
Yvonne Ammann Vegetarian2 bunches basil, 50 g toasted pine nuts, 60 g Parmesan, 1 garlic clove, 1 dl olive oil, salt — pulse briefly in a blender, do not let it run. It stays green if the basil is blanched for 10 seconds first or the pesto is covered with a layer of oil in the jar.
Jarred pesto is green because of colouring and cashews. Homemade takes ten minutes, tastes of basil instead of oil, and the summer basil on the balcony finally has a purpose. The one thing to know: it browns as soon as it meets air and warmth — and there are two simple tricks against that.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Basil (about 60 g leaves)
- 50 g Pine nuts
- 60 g Parmesan (finely grated)
- 1 piece Garlic clove
- 1 dl Olive oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
Method
- 1
Toast the pine nuts
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool — warm, they would turn the pesto grey.
- 2
Prepare the basil
Pick the leaves; do not wash if you can avoid it — water makes the pesto watery. Otherwise wash and pat very dry.
- 3
Blend
Pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and half the oil in a blender or with a stick blender until roughly chopped. Do not let it run — the friction heat makes it bitter and dark.
- 4
Finish
Stir in the Parmesan, remaining oil and lemon juice by hand. Taste. For pasta: thin with 2 to 3 tbsp pasta water, then it coats every strand.
Tips
- For pesto that stays green: dip the basil leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, plunge into iced water and squeeze dry. This destroys the enzyme that browns it. The flavour stays almost the same.
- Covered with a layer of olive oil in the jar, pesto keeps two weeks in the fridge. Frozen in ice-cube trays, six months — one cube per portion of pasta.
- Never heat pesto. Drain the pasta, stir in the pesto, done. In a hot pan it turns bitter and splits.
What can I substitute?
Pine nuts cost about 8 CHF per 100 g at Migros and Coop. Walnuts are a quarter of that and taste stronger; sunflower seeds are the answer for nut allergies.
Sbrinz is the Swiss alternative and just as good. Nutritional yeast makes the pesto vegan — then a little more salt.
Rocket pesto is peppery; make wild garlic pesto in April without the garlic — it is pungent enough by itself. Parsley is the winter pesto.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my pesto turn brown?
Because basil oxidises once the leaves are cut and exposed to air — like a cut apple. What helps: lemon juice in the pesto, a layer of oil on top in the jar, or blanching the basil for 10 seconds first. Pulse the blender only briefly — heat speeds it up.
How much pesto per portion of pasta?
2 heaped tablespoons per 100 g pasta, thinned with a splash of pasta water. The recipe makes about 200 g — enough for four portions of pasta or a jar for two weeks.
Can I make pesto without a blender?
Yes, in a pestle and mortar — that is how it began. Crush the garlic and salt, add the pine nuts, then the basil gradually, finally the cheese and oil. Takes 15 minutes and tastes rounder, because nothing warms up.
What goes with pesto besides pasta?
On boiled potatoes, in tomato soup, on bread with mozzarella, over fried chicken or salmon, in potato salad, as a marinade for grilled vegetables. A spoonful of pesto rescues almost any dull meal.
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