Molto Pesto

Hey guys

Pesto is an Italian sauce, generally attributed to the Liguria region of Northern Italy, specifically the city of Genoa (pesto alla Genovese). It has been known, in various forms, since Roman times, and probably originated in North Africa.

Today, pesto is commonly prepared with basil (Pra’s Basil for the original pesto alla Genovese), garlic, salt, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The sauce did not originally contain basil, however. Instead, cheese and olive oil were the main constituents. It is commonly used on breads and pasta, though its use is not restricted to these; the sauce is highly versatile. In commercial pesto, cashew nuts are often used instead of pine nuts, as they are cheaper and have a similar texture. In addition, the Parmigiano is often replaced by cheaper varieties of cheese, such as Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano.

It can also be used in salads too. Have you ever tried it with egg whites? It’s really yummy! It also tastes good with chicken breast and on hamburgers. My light pesto sauce is really low in calories and I have created several variations of it. These include my spinach pesto, my green collard pesto and of course, my famous sun-dried tomato pesto. On my JOE DIANGELO SALAD, I use my light basil pesto. You can read more about that here.

It's amazing how a simple sauce has so many possibilities and applications.

AlejandroQ