Pesto

Essentially a puree of fresh basil leaves, authentic pesto, from Genoa and the rest of Liguria where pesto is said to have originated, also contains Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts. Arguments arise more often over technique than exact ingredients. Purists insist pesto be made by hand, starting leaf by leaf, in a large, very heavy mortar. The rest of us make pesto in a food processor or blender. The purists are right: pesto made by hand is better. Olive oil can b