Pesto’s great day

Tomorrow, Saturday March 29th, Genoa will wear its greenest dress ever. It’s the day dedicated to the Genoa Pesto World Championship prepared with mortars, the fifth edition of a festival that acquires more fans each year. «After tomato sauce», says restaurateur and event-organizer Roberto Panizza, «pesto is the second most popular sauce in the world. Everyone now knows what it is, but almost everyone forgets where it was born, namely in Genoa. After all, if globalization leads 73% Americans to say that pizza was invented in the US, do you expect an Australian to recognize pesto as coming from Genoa?».

Nonetheless, the Pesto Championship is succeeding in highlighting its roots outside Italy. The merit goes to a format that widely goes across borders: «Tomorrow», Panizza explains «100 participants will compete, 30% of whom come from abroad. We organised a dozen eliminating rounds in New York, Cape Town, Bergen, Lion, Belfast. Two American brothers will also compete, one from New Mexico and one from California. It will be a great party, without any sad faces».

It will all start at 9 in Palazzo Ducale, with a competition for children aged 5 to 8. At 10, the adult competition will begin, with ten heats with 10 participants each. The winner of each heat will have access to the finals, set at 2.30 pm. There will be 30 jurors from all around the world, including us of Identità. The best pesto, prepared according to the most authentic tradition, will win. As for the ingredients, the championship’s organisers write: Genoan basil, Riviera extra virgin olive oil, Vessalico garlic, national pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano stravecchio or Fiore Sardo (pecorino matured 6 months). Most of all, they impose that the sauce should be crushed in the mortar, and not easily blended in mixers that heat and oxidise the basil.

We’ll have time to discuss this. Meanwhile, here are a few restaurants where you can taste Genoa’s pesto, and, below, a recipe for Trenette pasta and pesto as indicated by Panizza himself.

PESTO RESTAURANTS
Il Genovese, via Galata 35r, Genoa
The Gnocchi with pesto by Roberto and Sergio Panizza are fantastic

La Brinca, via Campo di Ne 58, Ne (Ge)
Traditional peasant pesto from Valgraveglia

Baccicin du caru, strada provinciale del Turchino Frazione Fado N.115 (Genoa)
Another great mortar pesto

Toe Drûe, via Corsi 44r, Genoa Sestri
Established in the early 20th century, it offers pesto but also a great cappun magro (a traditional dish made with fish and vegetables)

The Cook, via Marco Sala, 77, Genoa Nervi
Pesto is on top of more creative tortelli filled with potatoes and French beans

Al Giardino degli Indoratori, vico degli Indoratori 45 r, Genoa
Brand new opening, both creative and traditional recipes

THE RECIPE
Trenette al pesto

INGREDIENTS for 4 people
for the pesto (around 200 g)
80 g basil leaves
30 g pine nut
40 g grated parmesan
20 g pecorino
1 garlic clove
3 g cooking salt
6 cl extra virgin olive oil

for the trenette
300 g trenette
70 g French beans
100 g potatoes

METHOD
for the pesto
Clean the basil leaves in cold water and dry them on a kitchen cloth without rubbing them. Crash a garlic clove and the pine nuts inside a marble mortar using a wood pestle. Once you have obtained a cream, add a few grains of salt and the basil leaves so as to fill up the cavity. Crash the basil with a soft, round movement of the pestle around the walls of the mortar. Repeat the procedure. When the basil begins to release its bright green liquid, add Parmigiano Reggiano and pecorino. Gradually pour the extra virgin olive oil.

Finishing the dish
Cut the potatoes and French beans into small pieces. Cook them with the trenette in boiling salted water. One moment before draining the pasta, add a ladle of cooking water to the pesto. Once the cooking is completed, drain and mix with the pesto.