Pine Nuts

Pine nuts, sometimes called pignolia or pignoli, are actually the seeds of pine trees. They are used in Mediterranean sauces, for which they are crushed with a mortar and pestle with a variety of herbs and sometimes olives. They are best known as one of the ingredients in Genoese pesto sauce. Pine nuts, except for inferior Chinese examples (the best pine nuts come from Italy), are expensive. In many recipes, walnuts can be substituted.