Origins of Pesto alla Genovese: A Tale of Intrigue and Tradition

Gianluca Deiana
Oct 31, 2024
4 min read

Updated: May 21

Tagliolini al pesto — Tagliolini al Pesto

🌿 The Complete Story of Pesto alla Genovese

A Journey Through Time, Stone, and Leaf by Master Chef Gianluca Deiana Abis

📜 I. Ancient Roots: From Rome to the Riviera

Long before the word pesto was coined, the concept of pounding herbs with cheese and oil was already established in the kitchens of the ancient Mediterranean world.

🌾 1. Moretum – Rome’s Proto-Pesto (1st Century BCE)

In Appendix Vergiliana, a collection of poetry attributed to Virgil, we find a small poem titled “Moretum” describing a rustic farmer preparing a garlic-heavy paste with herbs, cheese, and oil using a mortar and pestle. Ingredients included:

Coriander
Rue
Salt
Cheese (likely sheep's milk)
Garlic
Olive oil

This preparation was not Ligurian, but it exemplifies the pestare method that would define pesto: crushing to create flavor, texture, and aroma from raw ingredients.

🌍 2. North African & Middle Eastern Influences

The ancient Mediterranean shared more than trade goods—techniques traveled. Similar herb pastes existed in:

Persian cuisine (e.g., sabzi khordan-style herb mixtures)
Carthaginian and Arab culinary traditions, where nuts and spices were ground into savory pastes

These influences filtered into Southern Europe, particularly into port cities like Genoa, which was in direct contact with North Africa, the Levant, and Iberia during the height of maritime trade.

⚓ II. Genoa: A City Built on Trade and Garlic

By the 11th to 15th centuries, Genoa had risen as one of the great Maritime Republics alongside Venice, Pisa, and Amalfi. Genoese ships controlled routes from the

Eastern Mediterranean to Northern Europe. With this expansion came exposure to:

Exotic spices
Dried nuts and fruits
New agricultural products such as basil, which likely came from Asia via Persia and Egypt

🧄 Agliata – The Medieval Precursor

The most direct medieval ancestor of pesto is agliata, a sauce made from:

Crushed garlic
Olive oil
Vinegar or wine
Breadcrumbs

It was served with meats and fish, acting as a preservative and flavor booster. Genoese sailors brought garlic-heavy sauces on voyages, reinforcing their association with maritime tradition.

🌿 III. The Birth of Pesto alla Genovese (17th–19th Century)

🌱 1. Basil Enters the Stage

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is not native to Liguria. It arrived from India or Persia, brought westward by Arab traders and crusaders. However, Liguria’s unique coastal microclimate—particularly around Prà and the Polcevera Valley—proved ideal for cultivating basil with:

A delicate aroma
Minimal mentholated notes
Thin, bright green leaves

The first appearance of basil in Genoese herb preparations likely occurred in the 17th century, slowly replacing more bitter herbs like marjoram and parsley.

📘 2. The First Recipe (1863)

The first written recipe for Pesto alla Genovese was published in:"La Cuciniera Genovese" by Giovanni Battista Ratto (1863). It called for:

"A clove of garlic, basil or if lacking, marjoram and parsley, grated Dutch cheese and Parmigiano, pine nuts, and olive oil."

This formula already reflects the modern elements:

Garlic (link to agliata)
Basil (now central)
Pine nuts
Two cheeses
Olive oil

Interestingly, “Dutch cheese” was often traded into Liguria, showing how Genoa’s port remained central to its culinary identity.

🪨 IV. The Sacred Tools: Mortaio e Pestello

1. Marble Mortar

Carved from Carrara or local Ligurian marble
Kept cool even with friction
Prevents oxidation of basil (key to retaining the vibrant green color)

2. Wooden Pestle

Traditionally made from olive, cherry, or pear wood
Does not react with the garlic’s allicin, unlike metal
Allows for grinding, not tearing—preserving aroma and structure

The use of these tools is more than tradition—it is chemistry. A blender oxidizes the basil, heats the oil, and emulsifies unevenly. The mortar allows every element to integrate slowly, giving the sauce its creaminess, brightness, and layered perfume.

In Liguria, mortars are heirlooms, passed down generations like a sacred relic. Grandmothers often teach the pestaggio rhythm: slow, circular movements with intermittent pressing.

🧀 V. Ingredients Anchored in Ligurian Identity

Basilico Genovese D.O.P.: The protected variety from Prà
Aglio di Vessalico: A sweet, low-acidity garlic from the Ligurian Alps
Pinoli italiani: From the Mediterranean stone pine, creamier than Chinese pine nuts
Parmigiano Reggiano & Pecorino Sardo: One mild, the other sharp—balancing umami and salt
Olio Extravergine Ligure: Light, fruity oil that binds without overpowering

🍝 VI. The Ritual of Pesto and Pasta

While trofie and trenette are traditional shapes in Genoa, many inland Ligurians began pairing pesto with lasagnette or tagliolini due to their regional flour blends. These pastas were often cooked with:

Potatoes
Green beans

…boiled in the same water—a clever peasant technique to flavor the water and stretch the meal.

🏆 VII. Preservation, Innovation, and Global Fame

Slow Food Presidia now protect the art of handmade mortar-ground pesto
The World Pesto Championship is held in Genoa, judged on texture, aroma, and tradition
Genoa bans industrial pesto from claiming “alla Genovese” unless D.O.P. ingredients and traditional methods are used