What is Pesto Sauce?

Everyone is familiar with tomato sauce for pasta, but what is pesto sauce?

It may just be the oldest sauce in existence. Made with primarily basil and garlic, it is thought to be descended from garlic sauces used in ancient Rome. It comes from the region of Liguria and is named after the method used to combine the ingredients - grinding or pestatura - or crushing with a mortar (mortaio) and pestle (pestello).

What is pesto sauce made of? The simple basic ingredients are basil, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese. According to custom, they should be mashed together by hand to release the aroma of the ingredients. Crush the basil leaves with a mortar and pestle and add the garlic and parmesan until they are ground into a fine paste. Moisten with the olive oil. Pesto is best made with basil that is freshly picked! Some recipes add walnuts, parsley or pine nuts so if you are allergic to nuts make sure you know what is in your pesto before eating it.

What is pesto sauce used for? Although we usually think of it as a sauce for pasta, pesto can be used for a flavor in soups and on grilled chicken or fish. You can use it as a sandwich spread combined with mayonnaise or even sprinkled over vegetables.