Pesto Alla Genovese (v) Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt (about 2 tablespoons) so the water tastes properly seasoned. Add the tagliatelle and cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 6–8 minutes for fresh, 8–10 for dried). Reserve about 250 ml of the cooking water before draining.

Drain the pasta and set aside, keeping it warm. Do not rinse.

Prepare basil

Wash basil leaves gently and spin or pat dry completely. Excess water will make the pesto watery and alter the color.

Toast pine nuts

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast 30 g pine nuts for the pesto until just golden and fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid burning (about 2–3 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Blend the pesto

In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, cooled toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves, coarse sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse several times until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the 160 ml extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture emulsifies into a smooth, bright green paste. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (80 g) and grated Pecorino (20 g) until incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning; add a little more salt if necessary.

If pesto is too thick, thin it with 1–3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to reach a loose, clingy consistency.

Make the crumble

In a small skillet, melt the 15 g unsalted butter over medium heat. Add 40 g pine nuts and toast briefly until golden (about 2 minutes), then add 30 g fine breadcrumbs and continue toasting, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp (1–2 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in 15 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and optional 1/2 tsp lemon zest. Season with a small pinch of salt and let cool — the mixture will crisp further as it cools.

Finish and dress

In a large mixing bowl or the pasta pot (off heat), combine the drained tagliatelle with most of the pesto (start with about 180–200 g of pesto — you may not need all if you prefer a lighter coating). Toss gently, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to create a silky emulsion that coats the noodles evenly. Taste and add more pesto if desired. Plate the pasta, sprinkle the pine nut crumble evenly over each portion, drizzle a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil over the top, and garnish with the small basil leaves.