CHEF CLAUDIO’S HOUSE RECIPE

Miramare's Pesto alla Genova

Pesto alla Genovese is the green sauce Liguria is famous for, though calling it just a sauce feels a little dangerous in Genoa. People have firm opinions about the basil used, the oil, the texture, the color, and whether a blender should be allowed near it.

Its name comes from pestare, to pound, because pesto belongs first to the mortar. The version we know today was first written down in the 19th century, though it grew from older Genovese garlic sauces made with herbs and oil.

Below is Chef Claudio’s recipe for Miramare’s classic pesto, which is often folded through trofie pasta, sometimes with potatoes and green beans.

What you need

Ingredients for 4 portions:

Basil leaves - 120 g
Pine nuts - 80 g
Parmigiano Reggiano - 48 g
Pecorino Romano - 10 g
Olive oil - 32 g
Extra virgin olive oil - 32 g
Garlic, germ removed - 1 clove
Coarse salt - 2 pinches

Three notes on these ingredients:

The basil and oil: the closer you get to Prà basil and Ligurian extra virgin olive oil, the closer you get to the real pesto alla Genovese. Prà basil brings the perfume: small leaves, bright fragrance, no harshness. A delicate Ligurian oil, ideally from Taggiasca olives, brings the softness and golden depth that hold everything together.
There's a good reason for using two cheeses. The Parmigiano Reggiano brings sweetness, depth and a good nutty flavor. Pecorino Romano is sharper and saltier, cutting through the richness of the oil and giving the pesto its proper lift. Together, they make the sauce nice and balanced.
This recipe makes enough for four portions. Even if you’re only cooking pasta for two, make the full amount (extra pesto is never bad news). Keep it in the fridge under a thin layer of olive oil and use it the next day with trofie, spooned over vegetables, or spread into a panino.

What to do

Clean, wash, and dry the basil in a salad spinner.
Blanch the pine nuts briefly, drain them on a perforated tray, then place in the freezer for 8-10 minutes, just until cold.
In a mortar, grind the pine nuts, coarse salt, and germ-removed garlic clove together.
Add the basil along with the olive oil, pounding until creamy.
Fold in the Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, then add the extra virgin olive oil.

Mangia bene!