If there’s a bright green sauce on your Italian food, that’s almost certainly pesto. Pesto is a vibrant and flavorful sauce that originated in the Liguria region of Italy. Its traditional ingredients are fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Sometimes a sauce, sometimes a condiment, pesto is a unique addition to many Italian dishes.
Italian food is famous for its vibrant and aromatic flavors. Pesto checks both of those boxes. Let’s examine it more closely.
What is Pesto?
Many of us have seen pesto on a menu and even ordered a dish containing it without knowing exactly what it is. The short answer is that pesto is a sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. However, it’s such a versatile food that calling it just a sauce isn’t quite right. It can also be a condiment or a dip, and the ratios of the various ingredients will change the consistency and flavor.
The word “pesto” comes from the Italian pestare, which means “to pound” or “to crush.” This name refers to the traditional method of preparing the sauce using a mortar and pestle. Today, it’s more common to use a blender or a food processor.
Common Uses
Part of what makes pesto so hard to categorize is its wide variety of uses. It can be a pasta sauce tossed with hot pasta and paired with roasted vegetables, seafood, or chicken. Pesto also makes a tasty marinade for meat or fish. Additionally, it can be used as a spread for sandwiches, wraps, or crostini or as a dip for vegetables or crackers.
Pesto Variations
The traditional pesto recipe is basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan cheese, but there are several variations. The most common way to make a pesto variation is to replace the basil. The variations of that kind that you’re most likely to find are sun-dried tomato, arugula, or spinach pesto. Another common variation is to swap the pine nuts for a different nut, such as walnuts or pistachios. Because nut allergies are so common, many restaurants choose to serve a nut-free pesto, which is the traditional recipe without the pine nuts.
Italian Food Favorites at Shirley Sub Shoppe
At Shirley Sub Shoppe, our menu features many classic Italian dishes. From pizza to pasta and everything in between, we have all your Italian food favorites. And yes, many of them include pesto.