Pesto Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Pesto
Basil pesto
Alternative names	Pesto alla genovese
Course	Sauce
Place of origin	Italy
Region or state	Genoa
Main ingredients	Basil, garlic, oil, grated hard cheese, pine nuts

Pesto is a super yummy sauce that comes from a region in Italy called Liguria. It's a fresh, uncooked sauce made mainly from crushed basil leaves. Other important ingredients are garlic, a little bit of salt, pine nuts, and special kinds of cheese. The cheeses often used are Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Sardo, or Pecorino Romano.

Pesto is most often used as a sauce for pasta. It adds a fresh, herby flavor to many dishes.

There's a similar sauce in France, in a place called the Provence. It's called Pistou. This French version doesn't have nuts or cheese in it.

How Pesto is Made
- What to Eat with Pesto
Images for kids
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How Pesto is Made

Pesto is traditionally made using a special tool called a mortar and a wooden pestle. Imagine a big bowl (the mortar) and a stick (the pestle) to crush things.

First, garlic and pine nuts are put into the mortar. They are crushed until they become a smooth paste. Next, clean, dry basil leaves are added with some coarse salt. These are also ground until they become creamy.

After that, a mix of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheese is stirred in. A little bit of extra-virgin olive oil is added to help mix everything together. This makes the pesto smooth and delicious.

You can keep pesto fresh in the refrigerator for about a week. Just put it in a tight jar or container and cover it with a thin layer of olive oil. You can also freeze it to use later!

What to Eat with Pesto

Cavatappi pasta with pesto.

Fettuccine pasta with pesto.

Pesto is most commonly used with pasta. In Genoa, Italy, people traditionally eat it with pasta types like mandilli de sæa (which means "silk handkerchiefs"), trofie, or trenette. Sometimes, potatoes and string beans are also boiled with the pasta. They are then mixed with the pesto too.

Today, pasta mixed with pesto is a very popular dish all over the world. You can find many recipes online for "pesto pasta."

Pesto is also used in a traditional Genoese vegetable soup called minestrone. Outside of Italy, some people serve pesto with sliced beef, tomatoes, and boiled potatoes. It's a very versatile sauce!