Pesto is a fresh green sauce made from the combination of basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and cheese. This unique mix of ingredients gives it a special flavour that you will love.
The taste of pesto is usually very mild with a slight spiciness from the garlic and basil leaves. It also has a sweet aroma with notes of cloves and anise. If you like spicy food, you can add some red pepper to the recipe for a little extra kick.
Most recipes call for pine nuts but you can easily substitute them with other kinds of nuts and seeds. Depending on the recipe you are using, these can either give the pesto a more delicate or a more nutty flavour. You can even choose to make it completely without any nuts at all if you prefer.
Cheese is another main ingredient that provides the creaminess of the pesto sauce. Parmesan or Pecorino Sardo are the most commonly used cheeses for making pesto, but you can experiment with different ones to see which one suits your taste best.
Besides being a delicious pasta sauce, pesto is also great as a dip for chips or nachos, or as a spread in sandwiches. It can also be added to salads for a refreshing and flavourful touch. You can also try experimenting with it by mixing it with other ingredients to create new flavours, such as a pomegranate and avocado pesto or a tomato and feta cheese pesto.