There comes a time in the summer when we begin eyeing our beautiful, flourishing, tall basil plants. We want to obliterate them into a pulp.
We want to make pesto.
The word pesto is derivative of the Italian, pestare or ‘pound, crush.’ A pesto can really be any sauce that is crushed, traditionally a circular motion of the pestle in the mortar.
The first mention of recipe for pesto as it is known today is from the book La Cuciniera Genovese written in 1863 by Giovanni Battista Ratto.
Then, 1944, The New York Times mentioned an imported canned pesto paste. In 1946, Sunset magazine published a pesto recipe by Angelo Pellegrini. But pesto did not become popular in America until the 1980s and 1990s.
Our favorite fast meal to make with pesto is the classic trofiette recipe, which we made last week, and comes straight out of Genova!
Here are the steps to make the perfect home -made pesto:
1. Gather your basil during the midsummer.
2. Give them a basic pounding, then add some olive oil. 
3. Once crushed into a paste, add your nut of choice. This time around, we chose walnuts. 
4. Add your parmesan cheese…
5. Smash it all together, and serve! Excellent in pasta, as a spread in sandwiches, or even as a dip.
Feeling lazy? We got you covered, with our authentic pestos from Italy:
Shop on Emporio now, and let us know what you make with your pesto!
Ci Vediamo!
Via Umbria
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