t originated in the Far East, before arriving in Greece and from there moving on to France and Italy: basil’s journey to our tables was indeed a long one!
One thing is certain and that is that the delicate basil leaves grow best in the presence of the sea breeze: this explains its presence in Liguria, a region perfectly suited to the cultivation of basil and known for its use of basil in many traditional recipes.
Basil is used in everything from stuffed vegetables to quiche, but the dish that has made it famous throughout the world is pesto. Pesto marries perfectly with a cool, fragrant white wine, such as a Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio Veneto Igt from Canti or a Pinot Grogio Veneto Igt.
Ingredients for 4:
- 50 gr of fresh basil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 6 spoonfuls of Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 spoonful of pine nuts
- Sea salt
Use a pestle and mortar to crush the peeled garlic and a few grains of sea salt until they become creamy and then add basil leaves that have been gently cleaned with a cloth (not run under water otherwise they will bruise). Crush the mixture using the pestle and mortar until a brilliant green liquid emerges from the basil leaves, at this stage add the pine nuts and continue to mix; finally add the cheese to make the mixture even more creamy and dribble on the extra virgin olive oil, still mixing.
Mix the pesto sauce with 350 grams of fresh trofie (a type of pasta typical in Liguria) or, alternatively with linguine. Enjoy!