Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce – Perfect for Pasta, Chicken or Salmon

My mom doesn’t like pesto, and as a result, I did not grow up eating it….. or liking it for that matter. Being from a small mountain town, I believe that the only version I was ever offered was from a packet – made with dried basil leaves! Because of this, I avoided the lovely, green aromatic sauce for most of my young life.

Fast forward to a trip to Italy in my early twenties. While traveling around Italy, I was blessed to spend over a week in the Liguria region, mostly in the Cinque Terre town of Vernazza. I learned that the classic Basil Pesto was actually invented in Genoa, Italy, just north of Cinque Terre. The picturesque towns along the northern Mediterranean coast have embraced the local history of pesto and make wonderful culinary creations featuring this amazing sauce. Because I fully subscribe to the adage “When in Rome…..”, I had to try the local pesto. Needless to say, it blew my mind!!! It was love at first bite! Upon coming home, I found a traditional version of Liguria Basil Pesto and haven’t looked back. It is perfection.

A brief Basil Pesto History

This flavorful sauce has its roots in Liguria, the coastal region of northwestern Italy, especially around Genoa. The sauce as we know it today – made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil – grew out of the older herb-based mixtures of Ancient Rome. The classic Genovese Basil Pesto took shape in the 19th century. The first clear written recipe for the modern style of Basil Pesto appeared in 1863 in a Genoese cookbook. By the mid-20th century Liguria had codified the classic ingredients and method.

The name pesto comes from the Italian word pestare, meaning “to crush” or “to pound”, a nod to the traditional mortar-and-pestle method used to make it. While similar herb sauces existed long before, basil pesto became the version that stuck. This is in part to Liguria’s fragrant local basil and its simple, fresh flavor.

Over time, pesto spread well beyond Italy and became a favorite around the world. Even with all the modern twists, the original basil-based Genovese pesto is still the one people think of first.

Traditionally, Basil Pesto is made with a mortar and pestle, and I certainly have made it in this fashion. However, I have taken to a much quicker and easier method, using a small food processor. It blends evenly and quickly, creating the perfect pesto. Although not 100% authentic in the method, the finished product will bring you to the shores of the Mediterranean, sipping limoncello and enjoying a perfect plate of Basil Pesto Pasta.