Claudia Romeo: Pesto is one
of the most popular sauces in the world. The original recipe calls
for seven ingredients, no more, no less. Basil, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, salt, and garlic. We are in Genoa, Italy. Here is where pesto was invented. And ask any Genoese you know, and they will tell you that
pesto made outside of the city just can't compete with
the one that is made here. Why? Because all the
seven ingredients here are just a little bit more special. Take the basil, for example. This variety is considered
the finest in the world because it has smaller leaves than usual and a more delicate flavor. And just like basil, all the seven ingredients
are distinctly Genoese. We're here to find out why. Claudia: Once we've got our
basil, we're at a crossroads: mix the seven ingredients
with the more traditional, time-consuming pestle and mortar, or use a more common mixer. Both methods are possible
and, most importantly, accepted by pesto experts like Roberto. Today, we'll see both methods, because each one leads to a
different-tasting pesto sauce. Let's start with the more modern approach. At the production site, the
first thing that happens is washing the leaves. They are washed three
times and disinfected to lose all residues of dirt and to make sure the leaves
are absolutely clean. Then they're dried. Claudia: I think we got it by now: Basil is an essential part of pesto. About one-third of it, in fact. Here, we just washed 5 kilos of basil, which will make 15 kilos of pesto. But what about the other six ingredients? Unlike basil, not all
of them come from Genoa or its region, Liguria, but they're all tied to its history. We'll tell you more about
them as they go in the mixer. The first one to go in is
extra-virgin olive oil. Claudia: The second
ingredient is the basil. We now have the two cheeses,
Parmesan and pecorino. And when cheese is involved, it wouldn't be a "Regional Eats" episode without some tasting. Unlike the basil and the olive oil, these two cheeses are
not local ingredients. So how did they become
part of the pesto recipe? Well, the answer, at least
for Parmesan, is simple. The same way it is the king of cheeses for 21st-century Italians, including me, Parmesan held a special place
in the hearts of Italians and Genoveses in the Middle Ages. Claudia: Back in the Middle
Ages and until the 18th century, notation was not the only
thing happening in Genoa. Genoa was also one of the
most powerful trading cities in the Mediterranean. One of the main trade routes of the Genovese maritime
republic was Sardinia. From there, sailors would
bring building stones back home to Genoa, but most of all -- and, I mean, can you blame them? -- pecorino cheese. Claudia: We're getting to the end. The fifth and six ingredients
to go in for the mix are pine nuts and garlic. This garlic is a local
variety called Vessalico, named after a small town in this region. It has a strong aroma but a more delicate flavor
than other varieties. Claudia: Last but not least
is a touch of coarse sea salt. And, why not, a bit more olive oil. Claudia: We've seen the more
modern way to make pesto. So now it's time to travel back in time and familiarize ourselves
with these two tools: a wooden pestle and a marble mortar. We'll do this in Roberto's
restaurant, Il Genovese, in the center of the city. When making pesto with
a pestle and mortar, the order the ingredients go
in is a little bit different. Roberto starts with garlic. Claudia: Now, it's the basil's turn. Claudia: Sea salt. We add the two cheeses and olive oil, and our pesto is ready. But we didn't taste it with
pasta as promised, after all.
Didn't expect to watch the whole video. I want to make some pesto now.