Genovese Pesto with Bowtie Pasta
Pestare is the Italian term for pesto, which can be translated to pound or crush.” This couldn’t be a more fitting word for my Genovese pesto since my process includes crushing the garlic, salt, and walnuts until it forms a paste and pounding together the basil and Pecorino Romano cheese. Hoping to shortcut this process, I tried making this pesto once without the mortar and pestle, throwing all the ingredients in a blender. However, I was disappointed with the result as it was mediocre. While it still beats many store-bought pesto sauces, if you have the time, I would recommend dusting off your mortar and pestle. You won’t be sorry!
Ingredients
- PESTO:
- 1 lb. basil, preferrable Genovese if you can find this variety.
- 18 walnuts halves
- 15 T. shredded Pecorino Romano cheese. Substitute Parmesan if you can’t find Pecorino.
- ¾ cup + 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ¾ t. sea salt + 1/4 t. more if needed
- PASTA, per serving:
- 2 ¼ cups cooked bowtie pasta
- 1 T + 2 t. Genovese pesto
- 1 T. shredded Pecorino cheese
- ½ t. toasted pine nuts
Directions
- Step 1 First, remove all stems and flowers from the basil, which could add a bitterness to the pesto. Next, remove the papery, outer skins off the garlic and crush it in a mortar with the pestle and salt. Then, add the walnuts and crush it along with the garlic and salt in the mortar.
- Step 2 Now, divide half of the basil and half of the salt/garlic/walnuts and add to a large mixing bowl, preferably, not metal. Then, use the pestle to crush the basil until it wilts, the leaves lose their individuality, and they form a mass that’s a fraction of its original size. Transfer to another bowl and repeat this process for the other half of basil and salt/garlic/walnuts mixture. When you’re done, combine the basils with 15 T. of Pecorino cheese. Pound the cheese with the pestle until it dissolves into the basil. Note: you can use the mortar to crush the basil, but this will take longer, so as a shortcut, I used a wooden pestle with a large, wooden bowl.
- Step 3 Next, transfer the crushed basil, garlic, walnuts, salt, and cheese to the bowl of a food processor and pour in ½ cup of olive oil. Blend until all the ingredients make a paste, adding ¼ cup + 2 T. more oil if needed. Also, taste and add ¼ t. more salt if needed as well.
- Step 4 Now, to make the pasta, fill a 7-quart stockpot halfway with water and add 1 T. of salt, bringing it to a rolling boil over high heat. Then, add the pasta and wait until it reaches a boil again. Cook for about 9-11 minutes for al dente or longer until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Just be sure to stir the pasta occasionally, so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Step 5 While the pasta is cooking, heat the portion of pesto that you’ll use in a small pan, making sure that it doesn’t brown, turning the heat to low after it warms. Also, toast the pine nuts for 4-5 minutes or until they turn slightly golden and remove from heat. After the pasta has cooked, pour it through a colander and mix it with the pesto. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and Pecorino cheese. Serve immediately as the pasta cools rapidly. Enjoy! Note: if you don’t have the time to make pesto from scratch, Whole Foods sells a good pesto in their deli section.
My Genovese Pesto with Bowtie Pasta is the perfect marriage of homemade pesto, made with a mortar and pestle, served with bowtie (farfalle) pasta, pine nuts, olive oil, and topped off with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese. It’s truly a match made in heaven!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: serving size: 2 ¼ cups, servings per recipe: 5 , calories: 507, total fat: 36.4 g., saturated fat: 4.1 g., cholesterol: 5 mg., sodium: 360 mg., total carbohydrate: 86 g., dietary fiber: 8 g., total sugars: 8 g., protein: 11.9 g., calcium: 40 mg., iron: 7 mg., potassium: 9 mg, vitamin D: 0 mcg.
SOURCES:
“The History of Pesto Sauce,” Cook Plate Fork, 22 March 2015.
This looks very delicious 😋. And you do much for your consideration to link to our post on Pesto Sauce 👍🏼
Randy: of course! And thanks for your informative post!
Kristina, your weekly blog is always anticipated! Thank you for your thoughtful recipes! Kudos especially for the delicious corn and red pepper salad. Also the cheese enchiladas were so delicious, but then there are the fabulous Corn Meal cookies. What a fabulous meal-thanks you! 💕Anne
Anne: I’m so glad that you’re enjoying my blog and the creations that I am cooking up in my kitchen! It was a joy making that corn-theme meal for you and hearing Duane’s fond stories! Hoping you make a full recovery soon!