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place on a square of pasta of 2-2.5 cm.
And of course you need to have a great
broth while cooking.
In our restaurant 80% of the customers
requires them.
“A real evergreen dish!
(
)
At pAge 18
Pesto, the scent
of Liguria
Among the protagonists of the
Ligurian cuisine, pesto won the
Italian tables - and more - thanks
to its versatility.
by Rachele Agostoni
When we talk about pesto, we think
immediately to Liguria, a hard and
difficult land, but poor in resources
that has created a cuisine rich in
flavor and tradition. Among its leading
products we have pesto, a sauce so
important that it deserves to be shown
on the site devoted to agriculture in
the region. Whether it’s a historic dish
is demonstrated by the fact that the
first written recipe for pesto dates back
to the mid nineteenth century.
The main ingredient is basil, aromatic
plant that was born in Asia Minor
and along the Mediterranean coast -
particularly in Liguria and Provence
- has found its ideal habitat and which,
in the name betrays its importance.
“Basil” in fact, comes from basilicum,
Latin translation of the Greek word
Basilikon, which means royal.
I
n the pesto, the basil
coexists
with the pine nuts, garlic, parmesan,
pecorino cheese and extra virgin olive
oil, which acts as a binder. “In the
traditional Ligurian pesto - explains
Fabio Maggiani, chef of the catering
company Genoese GEMI Small
and large events dell’APCI member
(Professional Association of Italian
Chefs) - should be used at Basilico Pra,
from small to medium leaves oval and
green color not very intense. Compared
to large-leafed variety, it lacks the taste
of basil mint. The true pesto should be
handmade in a mortar in stone ... but
this is not compatible with the needs
of the professional caterer. I have been
prepared pesto every year from 1000
to 1500 pounds for the events of which
I take care of the catering. Just imagine
how many hours it would take if I
prepared them all by hand ...” .
The use of mortar, perhaps refers to
the times when, basil were associated
with almost magical properties,
but now we know that its essential
oils have antiseptic, antibiotic and
pesticide. In fact, in order to get a
better taste and we do not throw the
spices, we do not pound the basil,
but we slightly rotate the pestle in the
mortar stone, to tear and no shear,
the leaflets. The processing must take
place in ambient temperature and must
finish in the shortest time possible in
order not to oxide, becoming dark.
When using the blender, you have to
have the foresight to use a low speed
turning off the machine often to avoid
overheating the blade and as a result of
the sauce.
“In order to get a nice green color for
the sauce - says Fabio Maggiani - the
pesto should be washed and dried well
and should never be absolutely heated.
The only concession that can be
done to heat is to use the water from
the pasta to stretch it slightly before
seasoning.”
Finally here we have a note of
etiquette. “When the pasta is topped
with pesto, at the table we should not
be putting the cheese board, because
the parmesan is already in the sauce.
Despite this, to please the customers,
the parmesan is put at the disposal.”
NOT ONLy BASIL
The pesto sauce is an extremely ver-
satile product and the variations on
the theme are endless, as long as you
respect a few simple rules. Why a
sauce you could call “pesto” must be
prepared to contain raw garlic, extra
virgin olive oil and pine nuts? The basil
instead can be replaced rather freely.
If you want to keep the green color,
for example, you can use the rosemary
or the rocket, but the pesto can be ac-
complished with any vegetable. Using
parsley is almost a heresy, however, for
a Ligurian.
Certainly the most famous pesto, after
the Ligurian, is the Sicilian one, in all
its forms province. The basic recipe
involves the use of basil, raw tomato
and ricotta cheese. A combination “in-
terregional” successful is the so-called
GE-BO, in which are mixed and pesto
sauce.
Needless to say, if you want to satisfy
even the most discerning palate, the
pesto can be accomplished without
replacing or garlic extra virgin olive oil
with a less decided olive oil.
a conDIment foR any kInD of
meal
If the more traditional use for pesto is
pasta sauce (trenette, the ultra-classic
pasta with pesto with green beans and
potatoes), goes well with other pasta
dishes. “Another dish of Liguria - ex-
plains Maggiani - is the prebuggion:
risotto with pesto and chopped mixed
herbs. The herbs are put at the begin-
ning of the preparation, the pesto is
used in the final creaming. The result
is a risotto with a pleasant green color
and fresh taste.”
The pesto is also great to accompany
the fish (octopus and potatoes, boiled
cod fish and stockfish), to serve as
an appetizer or main meal, and ve-
getables. Less successful, however, is
accompanied with the meat. “I avoid
using it for decorations - concludes
Maggiani - unless it is not flat like the
Caprese: basil tends to cover too much
of the flavor.”
fooDseRVIce
Deep green, with a typical texture and
a slight separation of oil on top, from
the flavor of basil and cheese, Pesto
alla Genovese Qualitaly is a viable
alternative to respond flexibly to custo-
mer demands. It is made according to
tradition, with fresh basil, garlic, pine
nuts and olive oil, made from the most
delicate mix with sunflower oil.
At pAge 20
Sushi? Raw fish? No
thank you! Unless ...
We will focus on Anisakis, a
parasite of some of the most
popular fish eaten raw. What
it is, the damage it causes, how
to behave in order to ensure
consumers and avoid sanctions.
by Gregori Nalon,
A recent seizure: On April 9th, last
year at the fish market in Turin, ASL
by inspectors sent by the prosecutor
Raffaele Guariniello of 1200 pounds
magazine
