By Chef Joseph Massaglia
Spring is here and many of you, like me, have garden fever. I am ready to eat my own fresh vegetables and herbs, especially beautiful, red, ripe Jersey tomatoes. Frankly, there is nothing worse in the winter than trying to find a good tomato.
But, in addition to planting your tomatoes, don’t forget to plant basil – lots of basil. It’s one of my favorite herbs and I use it in so many recipes. I include it in my marinara sauce, my Mama Sauce and my meatballs. You can say it’s the primary herb in my recipes.
And without a doubt, one of my most favorite ways to use basil is in pesto. Pesto is the most famous green sauce in the world, is quick and easy to make, and it keeps for a long time in the refrigerator.
Pesto is native to the Ligurian region of Italy, specifically the capital city of Genoa. The name is the past participle of the Genoese verb pestâ,, which means “to pound” or “to crush,” because according to tradition the ingredients are “crushed” or ground in a marble mortar through a circular motion of a wooden pestle.
Pesto dates back to the Romans, who used to eat a similar paste called moretum, which was made by crushing garlic, salt, cheese, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar (and sometimes pine nuts) together.
Pesto alla Genovese (“Genoese pesto”), first mentioned in a 19th century cookbook, remains the most popular pesto in Italy and the rest of the world. It only became popular in the United States in the 1980s, although recipes for it appear in American newspapers as early as the 1920s.
The traditional ingredients for pesto are basil (young, sweeter leaves are the best), Parmesan-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheeses, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. However, today there are many variations based on available ingredients, food allergies, and your taste. In France, almonds are substituted for pine nuts, some people mix mint in with the basil, I’ve seen spinach substituted for basil, and Asiago cheese used instead of Parmesan.
Pesto is quick and easy to make. I like to use a food processor for the large quantity I make at the restaurant, but for the traditional Italian style do it the old-fashioned way with a mortar and pestle. It’s a lot more work but the results are magical.
I love to toss gnocchi with my traditional Italian pesto, but its pungent and herbal flavor makes it a good choice to toss with pasta or boiled potatoes, serve as a dip, or serve with goat cheese on crackers or bruschetta.
I’ve included my recipe for pesto that I’ve been serving at Mama Mia’s Restaurante for more than 35 years. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Mama Mia’s Pesto Sauce
- 4 cups packed basil leaves
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups pine nuts, toasted if desired
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Rinse and dry (but not completely) basil leaves; add to bowl of food processor with cheese, pine nuts and garlic. Pulse until combined. With processor running, slowly add olive oil through the feed tube until mixture is smooth; season with salt and pepper to taste.
If you don’t use it right away, store in a jar with a layer of olive oil on top to prevent discoloration, and top the jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Joe’s Table for Two radio show airs Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WOND 1400 AM. Website: joestablefortwo.com. Facebook: Joe’s Table for 2. Contact Joe: joestablefortwo@gmail.com.
