--- title: "Pesto: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Pesto is an uncooked Italian sauce of basil, pine nuts, garlic, hard cheese and olive oil, pounded or blended. Here is how to keep it bright green." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pesto" --- # Pesto Pesto is an uncooked Italian sauce of basil, pine nuts, garlic, hard cheese and olive oil, pounded or blended. Here is how to keep it bright green. Also called Pesto alla genovese, Basil pesto. Pesto is a raw sauce from Genoa in northwest Italy, made from fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, hard aged cheese and olive oil. The name comes from the Italian for "pounded", because it was first made in a [mortar and pestle](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mortar-and-pestle). It is best known tossed with pasta, but it also goes on sandwiches, soups, fish and vegetables. ## How to do it For enough to sauce 400 g (14 ounces) of pasta: 1. Lightly [toast](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/toast) 30 g (1/4 cup) of pine nuts in a dry pan if you like. Let them cool. 2. Pound or pulse 1 garlic clove with a pinch of coarse salt into a paste. 3. Add the pine nuts and grind them coarsely. 4. Add 50 g (about 2 packed cups) of basil leaves and grind until finely chopped. 5. Stir in 40 g (1/2 cup) of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or a mix with Pecorino. 6. Stir in 80 to 120 ml (1/3 to 1/2 cup) of extra virgin olive oil. Season. A [food processor](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/food-processor) works too. Pulse rather than run it, so the basil does not get hot and bitter. ## How to use it Toss pesto with hot pasta off the heat, loosened with a few spoons of the pasta cooking water. Do not cook it, which darkens the basil. Spread it on bread, stir it into minestrone, or drizzle it on tomatoes and mozzarella. ## Substitutes * Walnuts, almonds or cashews in place of pine nuts. * Part arugula, spinach or parsley in place of some basil. * For a dairy-free pesto, leave out the cheese and add a little more salt and nuts. ## How to store it Press plastic wrap on the surface or cover with a thin layer of oil, and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze it in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. ## Common mistakes * Letting it turn brown. Cut basil darkens as it meets air through [oxidation](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/oxidation). Some cooks [blanch](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/blanch) the leaves for 5 seconds and chill them in ice water to keep the color. * Blending too long, which bruises the basil and turns the oil bitter. * Using wet basil, which makes it watery. ## Recipes that use it 19 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Pesto-Salmon-4.jpg)Pesto Salmon Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 14 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/pesto-salmon/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2011/09/summer-vegetable-soup-Hero-8.jpg)Vegetable Soup with Pestowww.onceuponachef.com · 45 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/vegetable-soup-with-pesto.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2019/07/Pesto-Pizza-Fresh-Tomatoes-Mozzarella.jpg)Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes & Mozzarellawww.onceuponachef.com](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pizza-pesto-fresh-tomatoes-mozzarella.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2019/06/Pasta-Salad-with-Pesto.jpg)Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts & Mozzarella Pearlswww.onceuponachef.com · 30 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pesto-pasta-salad.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/eggplant-panini-with-pesto.jpg)Eggplant Panini with Pestowww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/eggplant-panini-with-pesto/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Balsamic-Roasted-Veggie-and-White-Bean-Pasta-10-4.jpg)Balsamic Roasted Veggie and White Bean Pastawww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/balsamic-roasted-veggie-and-white-bean-pasta/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/healthy-pesto-baked-rigatoni-square.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Healthy Pesto Baked Rigatonipinchofyum.com · 40 min](https://pinchofyum.com/healthy-baked-pesto-rigatoni) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/HoneyBalsamicGrilledChickenandVegetables.jpg)Honey Balsamic Grilled Chicken and Vegetableswww.skinnytaste.com · 85 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/honey-balsamic-grilled-chicken-and/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Trader-Joes-Sun-Dried-Tomato-Focaccia-Turkey-Sandwich-Square.png?fit=225%2C225)Trader Joe's Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia Turkey Sandwichpinchofyum.com · 20 min](https://pinchofyum.com/trader-joes-sun-dried-tomato-focaccia-turkey-sandwich) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Caprese-Grilled-Cheese-Recipe.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Loaded Caprese Grilled Cheesepinchofyum.com · 30 min](https://pinchofyum.com/caprese-grilled-cheese) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2009/08/Zucchini-Noodles.jpg)Zucchini Noodles with Pesto & Pine Nutswww.onceuponachef.com · 20 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/zucchini-noodles-with-pesto-pine-nuts.html) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Crockpot-Quinoa-Chicken-Primavera-Recipe.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Crockpot Quinoa Chicken Primaverapinchofyum.com · 250 min](https://pinchofyum.com/crockpot-quinoa-chicken-primavera) ## Related terms * [Mortar and pestleA mortar and pestle is a heavy bowl and club for crushing spices, garlic and herbs into pastes and sauces. Here is how to use one and which type to choose.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mortar-and-pestle) * [OxidationOxidation is what happens when food reacts with oxygen in the air. It turns cut apples and avocados brown and makes oils and nuts go rancid over time.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/oxidation) * [BlanchBlanching is cooking food for a short time in boiling water, then stopping the cooking in ice water. It sets color and loosens skins.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/blanch) * [Food processorA food processor is an electric machine with a spinning blade and discs that chops, purees, slices and mixes dough in seconds. Here is how to use one well.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/food-processor) * [Salsa verdeSalsa verde means green sauce. The Italian kind is herbs, capers, anchovy and oil; the Mexican kind is tomatillos and chili. Here is how to make both.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/salsa-verde) * [ToastTo toast is to brown food with dry heat until it turns golden and smells nutty. Bread, nuts, seeds, spices and coconut all gain flavor from toasting.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/toast) [More in sauces and stocks](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/sauces-and-stocks)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)