Does traditional Pesto Genovese contain garlic?
.. I'm hoping a native Genoan can tell me. Every recipe for Pesto Genovese I've found out there includes a fair amount of garlic. But I barely cook the sauce. I really just warm it through, tossing with the pasta and a little pasta water to form an emulsion. This means the garlic is pretty much raw. Even a little is pungent enough to detract from the other ingredients.. is this really traditional? Am I doing something else wrong? I've taken, instead, to melting a little garlic in a frying pan before introducing the pasta, pesto, and water.
Best Answer
According to the CONSORZIO DEL PESTO GENOVESE, which defines what is considered official Pesto Genovese, it does contain garlic. They suggest that traditionally it contained less garlic than the current official recipe calls for - one clove for 600g of pasta versus two. Later on they mention that it contains one clove for each thirty leaves of basil, and also leave the following suggestion:
The garlic must be sweet, it must not prevail while making itself felt in the background ... in short, it can not be missing!
Note that pesto is traditionally not cooked at all; it’s made solely in the food processor (or of course a mortar and pestle or mezzaluna truly traditionally).
As far as your taste - I would suggest leaving out the garlic if you truly don’t like it!
Some suggestions for keeping the garlic taste down:
From Cooks Illustrated:
- Blanching the garlic (briefly cooking it in boiling water).
- Microwaving the garlic until warm
- Toasting the garlic in a dry pan
From Fine Cooking:
- Remove the germ, or the thin center piece of the garlic, which often turns green (like a sprout); this is more bitter than the rest of the garlic.
Avoid cooking it in butter or other preparation methods that will substantially alter its flavor, as that will also alter the flavor of the pesto excessively (unless you like that flavor change!).
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Quick Answer about "Does traditional Pesto Genovese contain garlic?"
The original pesto alla genovese, the quintessential pesto recipe, is made with Genovese basil, coarse salt, garlic, Ligurian extra virgin olive oil (Taggiasco), European pine nuts (sometimes toasted) and a grated cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano and Pecorino Sardo or Pecorino Romano.Does pesto have raw garlic?
Pesto is a sauce which hails from Italy. It is made by crushing together a melange of simple ingredients: most famously basil, salt, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese.What is the difference between pesto and Pesto Genovese?
While traditional pesto alla Genovese typically includes non-vegetarian cheeses (including Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo), pesto by nature invites interpretation - feel free to substitute the traditional cheese for a vegetarian alternative.What is pesto normally made of?
Traditional pesto is made with basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan (or another type of hard Italian cheese, such as Pecorino). You can prepare it with a mortar and pestle (this is the traditional method) or using a blender/food processor.What is organic pesto Genovese?
An unpasteurised basil pesto, made from 100% organic ingredients. The dairy-free recipe makes it suitable for vegans, and it's unpasterised for a fantastic basil flavour.How Authentic Pesto Is Made In Italy | Regional Eats
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