A Marvel of Simplicity: Pesto alla genovese
When the fragrance of basil fills the air in Genoa it is time to enjoy one of Italy's most prized sauces.
Il pesto is a marvel of simplicity and the apotheosis of Mediterranean cuisine. If you're lucky enough to experience this jewel of Liguria, sitting comfortably at a table on the terrace of a restaurant or trattoria in any village by the sea in this glorious region, it will be as unforgettable as, well, maybe the first time you rode a bike or smelled freshly cut grass - or any one of those exhilarating moments when you're suddenly aware that life on earth can be grand. Pesto is a great example of the way our experience of food is inextricably linked with memory and imagination - and place.
When you talk about pesto in Liguria, which is the birth place for this sauce, you must imagine trofie al pesto - a regional pasta, rolled by hand into short, squiggly shafts; or trenette al pesto - a local variation of linguine; both of these pastas are often served with potatoes and beans, a variation called pesto avvantaggiato, which is described below. Also, in this region you will often find lasagna al pesto alla genovese, or quite possibly gnocchi with pesto. If you have the chance to enjoy any of these pesto dishes in Liguria, with a glass of Gavi (a white wine from Piemonte) in the company of friends, there will undoubtedly be a moment in which all conversation stops, replaced simply by moans of pleasure - it's at that moment you'll probably wish you could stay right there for the rest of your life.
Liguria is a gorgeous, small region on the Mediterranean Sea, shaped like a sort of half moon, in the northwest corner of Italy. This region has a unique micro-climate due to its particular geographic location, situated in the hills of the Appennini mountains that jut right up to the seaboard. From this exquisite landscape come all the ingredients of pesto: basilico genovese - arguably one of the most delicious varieties of basil; the Ligurian extra-virgin olive oil; and the pine nuts from the Stone Pines that grow in abundance here.
Pesto alla genovese (see recipe below) is one of the high points of Italian regional cuisine. There is a bit of mystery about the origins of this sauce, but some distant form of this sauce probably existed in Persia or in the Arabian Peninsula. Some explain it as an evolution of a salsa di noci (walnut sauce), which is known to have existed in the Middle Ages. Centuries later, in 1627, Salvatore Massonio, in his essay "Dell'insalata e dell'uso di essa" (translated as, "About salad and its usage"), gives one of the first mentions of a sauce with garlic and different herbs. In 1860, a recipe for pesto very similar to the one we know today was codified by Giovan Battista Ratto in his "La Cuciniera Genovese." 
Ligurians are very proud of their pesto and fiercely defend their traditional recipe. There is an official and codified disciplinare - that is, strict rules and regulations about ingredients and preparation methods - established by the Regione Liguria and the Pesto alla genovese consortium. In Italy, this struggle to defend the integrity of local products, recipes and traditional methods is considered a kind of sport nazionale. Given how ferociously certain traditional ingredients for pesto are insisted upon, it's curious to note that in some old recipes, formaggio d'Olanda - that is gouda cheese - was called for! The rich maritime commerce with northern Europe made that cheese almost more readily available than Pecorino Sardo or Parmigiano Reggiano. Also, many years ago, before today's greenhouses, seasonal shortages of basil sometimes required marjoram and parsley be substituted.
The truth is it's very easy to make a great pesto even if you don't have basil and pine nuts from Liguria and even if you do it without a Carrara marble mortar. For purists though, the pestle and mortar method is irreplaceable. If you choose to go this route (described below), then the mortar should be in white marble - but of course, if you use a different marble, non muore nessuno ("no one dies"). You'll also need a good pestle, preferably in olive wood but again any appropriate wood can be used. Pestare in Italian means "to crush or mash" - and that's exactly what you'll do. It's undeniable that a pesto made with a mortar has some advantages - most notably, the taste is more authentic because the flavor is not altered by the heat that a food processor produces; also the appearance of the pesto is more rustic, less homogeneous.
It's hard to deny though, that the convenience, ease and expedience of a food processor can be overwhelmingly appealing - and the results irrefutably delicious. Also it must be added that some bottled pesto sauces, made in Liguria from local ingredients are truly superb. Short of chartering a plane to Genova, may be your simplest, most direct route to a Ligurian pesto.
RECIPES:
Pesto alla Genovese - Classic Pesto Recipe
Linguine with Pesto Beans and Potatoes
Whole Wheat Shells with Arugula Pesto and Cannellini Beans
Orzo and Arugula Salad with Pesto Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Turkey Artichoke Sandwich
Artichoke, Feta, Tomato, and Pesto Bruschetta
Gnocchi with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Pesto
Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta Salad with Artichokes, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pesto
Summer Pasta Salad with Grilled Zucchini, Ricotta, Pesto, and Olives
