Homemade Genovese Pesto Recipe: My Secret Ingredient

Classic Italian basil pesto sauce originated in the Liguria region of Italy, more specifically, in Genoa. So for foodies, no trip to this coastal area of Northern Italy would be complete without a bowl of Pesto alla Genovese Pasta—ideally there should be many.

When I’m traveling, if I discover an extraordinarily delicious local dish, I try it in multiple locations. Yup, I tried many Pesto Genovese dishes in Italy in order to return home and be able to make it from scratch!

In Cinque Terre, Santa Margherita, Portofino, and Genoa, I ate oodles of Genovese Pesto and now I have the best pesto recipe to share with you!

The original recipe dates back to the 1600s, and this pasta sauce is still a staple on Italian restaurant menus today.

But now, with this easy pesto recipe, you can enjoy it at home, and even make it a little healthier and more quickly than the Italians do!

A bowl of Genovese Pesto sauce and some recipe ingredients

Authentic Genovese Pesto

The term pesto comes from the Italian verb pestare, which means "to pound" or "to crush." So, it’s no surprise that according to the authentic traditional recipe, the natural ingredients were to be "pounded" or ground in a marble mortar through the circular motion of a wooden pestle.

An authentic Genovese Pesto recipe crushes garlic, fresh basil leaves, and European pine nuts with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, a famous food of Emilia-Romagna. As yummy as this is, it’s a lot of work, and nutritionally, it’s mostly fat!

My homemade basil pesto recipe is much less work, cuts the fat in half, and adds a secret ingredient to keep it bright green!

This Pesto Genovese will stay nice and green because of one secret ingredient.

Secret Ingredient For Pesto Genovese

I won’t even make you wait for the secret ingredient in my Pesto Genovese—it’s spinach! Basil on its own will brown very easily, especially when it comes into contact with heat. The spinach remains green and helps the sauce remain vibrantly verdant without sacrificing flavor!

Another secret: All that crushing and pounding is exhausting! I use a food processor for this Pesto Genovese recipe, which saves a ton of time!

Genovese Pesto Sauce Ingredients

Now that you already know the secret to making a classic basil pesto that stays green, let’s talk about some of the other ingredients.

Garlic

The recipe calls for minced garlic because it is easier to be consistent with the measurement. Every garlic clove varies in size. But if you don’t want to chop the garlic cloves by hand, you can put them in the processor first. Measure it out and retain any extra for later use.

Pine Nuts

It should go without saying that all ingredients should be fresh, but nuts especially, since they spoil easily. Taste them before adding to your processor. Rancid nuts will spoil your whole batch. If you don’t use pine nuts regularly, try storing them in the freezer.

Basil

Fresh basil, the main ingredient, is non-negotiable—do not use dried. However, if one of your basil leaves has a brown spot, it is ok to cut that off. Also, make sure you use the correct type of basil, sweet basil or Genovese basil, not Thai basil. I like to retain some of the small leaves for garnish.

Lemon Juice

Although lemon juice is not a star ingredient, the quality you use will affect the flavor. If you don’t have a fresh lemon, make sure your bottled juice still tastes fresh.

Vegetable or Chicken Broth

I usually use chicken broth even if I am using the sauce for seafood. It’s a personal preference. The reason I use broth at all is to cut down on the fat per serving. But if you prefer a pesto that is more of a rough paste than a sauce, you may want to cut back on the broth.

Cheese

Some type of parmesan cheese is best, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano, the king of Italian cheeses. If you don’t have that on hand, hard cheeses like Pecorino Sardo, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romana all make decent substitutes.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

You don’t have to use a Ligurian olive oil like the Genovese do, but do use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil. If it doesn’t taste good off a spoon, it will not make a good pesto sauce.

Genovese Pesto Recipe

Servings: 4

Ingredients
⅛ cup pine nuts
¾ cups spinach, loosely packed
¾ cups basil, loosely packed
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup vegetable or chicken broth
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
1. Add pine nuts to a food processor bowl and process until noise stops. Most likely, the nuts will now be stuck to the side of the bowl. Scrape them down with a spatula.

2. Add the spinach and process again—then scrape off the sides once more.

3. Repeat the same process with the basil: process and scrape.

4. Add lemon juice, vegetable broth, garlic, and cheese to the processor: process and scrape.

5. Through the top of the processor, drizzle in the olive oil a little at a time while the processor is running.

Genovese Pesto Pasta garnished with cherry tomatoes.

How to use pesto sauce

If you’re a pesto sauce lover like me, you’ll find it is good on almost anything! And you’ll want to make this Pesto alla Genovesa recipe often.

The most traditional way to eat pesto is on pasta. It is much more versatile than some of my other favorite Italian sauces, like Bolognese, Marinara, or Scampi. And there’s no cooking in making the sauce, so it’s quick and easy to make at just a moment’s notice.

Here are some of the best ways to use Italian pesto.

1. Genovese Pesto Pasta

In Italian cuisine, each region has its own pastas that go with the regional sauces. In Genoa, the traditional pasta for pesto is trofie pasta. At home in California, however, I use whatever I’m in the mood for. Sometimes I even opt for potato gnocchi!

Even though my Genovese Pesto adds spinach, it is best not to heat it up. Simply cook your pasta, and when it’s ready, stir the freshly made pesto into it.

2. Pesto Chicken or Lamb

Dress up your dinners by topping your protein with this simple sauce. Simply use your preferred method to cook your chicken or lamb. Then add a dab of unheated pesto on top.

3. Pesto Dip

Include a small bowl of Pesto alla Genovesa on a platter with fresh vegetables for a snack or appetizer.

4. Pesto Spread

Spreading basil pesto Genovese onto the bread of a sandwich is one of the best-kept sandwich secrets! So is adding it to a grilled cheese with fresh mozzarella. YUM!

5. Scrambled Eggs

Whisk in a bit of pesto to your raw egg mixture then cook. This is how I make my Green Eggs and Ham recipe. If you have leftover pesto, this is great way to put it to delicious use!

If you visit Genoa, let me know how this easy homemade pesto recipe compares to the pesto from Genoa!