Pesto Sauces Fresh · $12/8 oz retail · $6 wholesale

Classic Genovese Pesto

Pesto alla genovese, done the traditional way — nothing but garden basil, toasted pine nuts, two aged cheeses, garlic and good olive oil. Bright, grassy and rich. Toss with pasta, swirl into minestrone, or spread across a caprese.

Channel Farmers Market Yield 4–6 jars (8 oz) Tier Traditional · The benchmark

Ingredients

8 cups (packed) fresh Genovese basil leaves, stems removed
1.5 cups pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
½ cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated
8 cloves garlic
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil (mild, cold-pressed)
2 tsp sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon (optional — brightens and holds color)

Method

Optional, for vivid green + longer fridge life: blanch basil 5 sec in boiling water, plunge into an ice bath, squeeze bone-dry.
Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium 3–4 min until just golden; cool completely.
Pulse garlic + pine nuts + salt to a coarse paste (or pound in a mortar for the classic texture).
Add basil in batches, pulsing in short bursts — don't over-run the motor; heat dulls the color.
With the motor on low, stream in the olive oil until emulsified.
Pulse in both cheeses last; adjust salt and add lemon if using.
Jar with a thin film of oil on top to seal out air. Refrigerate.

Why it works

Two cheeses do the work — Parmigiano for nutty depth, sharp Pecorino for the salty edge. Toasting the pine nuts and keeping the oil mild and cold-pressed lets the garden basil stay the hero.

Notes

NOT shelf-stable — sell refrigerated only. Fridge 5–7 days under an oil film; freeze in portions up to 3 months.
Freezing tip: leave the cheese out, freeze the basil base, then stir in fresh-grated cheese after thawing for the brightest flavor.
Never water-bath or hot-fill pesto — low acidity + oil + garlic is a botulism risk.
Swap walnuts for pine nuts to cut cost ~60% with minimal flavor loss.