Pesto sauce

Pesto sauce is rightfully classified as a classic or basic sauce of Italian cuisine. In Italy, they are very sensitive to national culinary traditions, and pesto sauce can be considered a vivid example of such respect and popular love. The pesto sauce got its name thanks to the Italian word pesto or pestato, which literally means "crush, trample or rub. " The name of the pesto sauce indicates the way the product is made.

Composition of pesto sauce

The classic composition of pesto sauce includes ingredients such as olive oil, cheese, as well as green basil leaves and nuts. In order to get a real Italian pesto sauce, you need to follow the recipe exactly. For the sauce, it is better to use a good variety of olive oil. Parmesan and pecorino cheese are more commonly used for pesto. However, the modern composition of pesto sauce has undergone some changes. Modern chefs use green cheese varieties that differ in taste, but give a richer color and aroma to the pesto sauce.

Pesto sauce was invented by Italians, and this nation simply cannot imagine its life without tomatoes. Therefore, there is a subspecies of pesto sauce with tomatoes, which differs in its saturated red, and not in the classic green color. The recipe for red pesto sauce has only one ingredient - naturally cured tomatoes in the sun. Red, as well as the green variety of pesto sauce, have found widespread use not only in Italian, but also in world cooking.

At home in Italy, pesto sauce is considered an excellent addition to most national dishes. Italians make simple sandwiches from fresh white bread and pesto sauce. It is believed that the recipe for pesto sauce, like most classic European sauces, has been known since Roman times. The ancient Romans were foodies and relentlessly invented more and more refined dishes.

However, the first documentary evidence of pesto sauce dates back to the second half of the 19th century. This period of time is distinguished by the increased interest of culinary experts in ancient recipes. It was in that century that some other sauces were rediscovered. For example, the French classic bechamel or currency. Pesto sauce was the first in European territory to be produced in the Liguria region.

With the help of only a marble mortar and a wooden pestle, basil leaves, pinia seeds and garlic were crushed. Ligurian olive oil, salt and pecorino cheese were then added. Cashews or walnuts served as cheaper replacements for pinia seeds, and pecorinos were gradually replaced with parmesan. Interestingly, in several other states there is an independent version of pesto sauce. For example, in Germany, wild garlic leaves are used instead of basil, and in Austria, pumpkin seeds.