The sauce that has made the region of Liguria famous the world over is named after its method of preparation: pestatura or grinding of leaves and other ingredients in the traditional marble murtà (mortar) with a wooden pestellu (pestle).
Olive-oil based pesto may be considered the oldest oily sauce in gastronomic history.
Basil was attributed magical virtues in addition to the properties that made it so valuable in the kitchen, so that it had to be gathered in accordance with sacred, codified rituals.
The pesto recipe took the form we know in the mid-nineteenth century: the recipe first appears in writing in the Ratto brothers’ 1865 Cuciniera Genovese, where it is described as "pesto is a mince of garlic and basil" and used as a sauce with which "to dress all varieties of pasta".
Ligurians almost make a religion of their devotion to pesto sauce and its main ingredient, fresh basil. While they generally favor fresh herbs in their cooking, it is basil that inspires the most interest. Every village, and for that matter probably every family, has its own recipe for pesto sauce and its favorite shape of pasta to use with it. The basic ingredients of pesto sauce are common to all these recipes: fresh basil leaves, cheese (either Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino), pine nuts or walnuts, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. The great debate, and the great fun, about pesto is deciding on the proper proportions with which to combine these ingredients and whether to add any extras.
