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Pesto alla genovese

Also searched as: basil pesto, homemade pesto

In short: Basil, pine nuts, cheese and oil become a green paste: the gentler the chopping, the greener and more fragrant it stays.

Picture it

Like greenery in summer rain: the less it is crushed, the fresher it stays.

The decisive moments

1
Toast the pine nuts golden in a dry pan
Roasted flavours make the pesto rounder.
Maillard reaction
2
Crush the basil in a mortar or with short pulses of the blender
A blender left running warms the leaves: the enzymes work faster and the pesto turns dark.
Enzymatic browning
3
For bright green: blanch the leaves for 10 seconds and refresh in iced water
The brief heat switches off the browning enzymes, and the green stays.
Blanching and refreshing
4
Stir in cheese and oil at the end and cover with oil
The layer of oil keeps air out and slows darkening.
Fat goes rancid (oxidation)

Sources · 1