In Italy, every city has its own specialties. In Milan, it's risotto with saffron, in Venice, polenta and baccalà. Romans adore bucatini all'amatriciana, and Neapolitans pride themselves on their pummarola - tomato sauce, pure and simple. In Genoa, in northeast Italy, tomatoes are rarely seen. Here, basil grows wild on the hills, and the olive oil produced by the tortured-looking trees is considered some of the best in the world. Locals combine these two ingredients with Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and a hint of garlic to create the sublimely aromatic sauce known as pesto.
Served traditionally on pasta, pesto has proven itself a dynamic and versatile addition to a variety of dishes-from soups to side-dishes to main courses.
Pesto Pointers
The basil that goes into pesto is very delicate. It turns brown if it gets very hot or is exposed to air for long periods of time. To maintain its brilliant green color, don’t microwave or boil your pesto, and stir it in at the last minute, just before serving.
You can store an opened container of pesto for a week in the refrigerator. Keep it looking fresh and green by covering the top with a layer of olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) directly onto the surface of the pesto to prevent oxygenation.
If you want to preserve your pesto for more than a week, remember that it freezes beautifully. Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray, wait until it freezes solid, and then transfer it to a heavy, freezer-proof plastic bag. Thaw frozen pesto in the refrigerator or in the microwave on "defrost."
Swirl a spoonful of pesto into hot pasta and you've got a simple and delicious meal. Remember that pesto has a very concentrated flavor, so use it more sparingly than you would other pasta sauces- you don't want it to overpower the other flavors.
When serving it on pasta, do as the Italians do: before draining the pasta, dip a cupful of the cooking water out of the pot. Blend the water with some pesto until the sauce is smooth and creamy. The starch in the water will help the sauce to evenly coat and cling to the pasta.