Food Lover's Odyssey

Pasta all' Amatriciana - A Roman Treat

Amatriciana sauce has five ingredients, not including salt and pepper. To make a good sauce, it’s all about the quality of these 5 ingredients. However, now I find myself back in the States trying to recreate my favorite Roman pasta with un-Roman ingredients. Even before I leave to buy the ingredients, I start my rant about the quality of products in the US vs. Italy. This happens every time I return from Italy. I start on the stores and their "sub par" products. The farmers' markets have good tomatoes, not quite as sweet as San Marzano, but I can manage. I live in a small suburb outside of San Francisco, so I have to drive a good 40 minutes to Berkeley, San Francisco, or the Napa Valley to find a good cheese shop and butcher, for the guanciale (cured pork jowl). After a long morning shopping, I return grumbling about how in every small town in Italy there is a butcher, salumeria, cheese shop, market etc. and here, “One has to drive over half an hour and sometimes to more than one town to get a measly five quasi-quality ingredients!” My tirade ends with, “I can’t live in this country, Ufff!” (Friends and family have come to ignore my "I miss Italy" rants.)

This is exactly what happened the day I decided to make amatriciana sauce. I returned in a huff after my 4-hour shopping spree. I snagged ingredients out of the bags. I sliced, chopped, grated, prepped and grumbled the entire time. Twenty minutes later, the dish was ready. After one, maybe two, bites I was no longer in the US. I was dining al fresco, on a white-clothed table with its legs wobbling on the ancient cobble-stoned street. I forgot all about my previous grumblings and devoured my pasta.

Like I said, it’s all about the ingredients, and with a little effort, I guess (grumble grumble) you can find them here in the US. What really makes this dish is the guanciale. Guanciale is cured pork jowl. You cannot substitute it, and it can’t be smoked—only cured. Some people, not Romans, use pancetta as a substitute, but the guanciale is sweeter, fatter, and has a more delicate and less salty taste than pancetta (cured pork belly). It melts as you heat it in the pan, and the rendered fat transports the jowl's unique flavor throughout the dish. Touching each piece of pasta and spoonful of sauce with it's sweet and salty magic. Substituting it, changes the dish altogether, and should be considered a mortal sin.

The sweetness of the tomatoes is also important. Because we are at the peak of tomato season, the tomatoes were sweet and flavorful. I would use canned, peeled tomatoes out of season. San Marzano are the best, and outrageously priced here. (Oh, am I still grumbling?) Purists would never add onion, but many places in Rome do. I like the flavor it adds to the dish, so I've added it here in this recipe.

A note on finding guanciale: I found mine at the Fatted Calf Charcuterie in Napa, James from Wandering Italy also recommends Dave the Butcher at Avedano’s in San Francisco. Michael Ruhlman recently posted, Artisan Butchers, on his blog and added a list of "artisan" butchers to the post from readers' comments (for those of you outside the Northern California area).

I hope you try making it at home, and take yourself straight to Rome. It also might make your return from Rome easier to tolerate.

Pasta all’ Amatriciana

(Makes 4 servings)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces (225 g) Guanciale (cured pork jowl – do not use smoked)

1/2 medium-sized onion, diced

About 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Half of a chili pepper, finely diced or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup white wine

24 ounces peeled tomatoes, chopped or hand-crushed

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 pound dried pasta (bucatini, spaghetti, penne, rigatoni)

Bring about 6 cups of well-salted water to a boil.

Add the olive oil and guanciale. Cook on medium heat about 5 minutes, until the fat starts to melt and the meat becomes translucent. Remove the guanciale and drain all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onions and salt. Sweat the onions until they are translucent, about 3 minutes, adding the chili pepper and freshly ground black pepper one minute before they are done. Add the white wine, and deglaze on high heat until the alcohol has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer on low until you have a pretty thick sauce, about 10 minutes. (If the sauce gets too thick, add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to loosen it.) Add the guanciale and heat through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

While the sauce is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes for dry pasta. Drain the pasta (saving the pasta water in case you need it to loosen the sauce) and add the pasta to the sauce. Toss the sauce and the pasta together for 1 to 2 minutes over the heat. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Add more cheese to garnish. Buon Appetito!

Related Posts:

Roman Pasta Dishes and 10 Places to Eat Them In Rome

Cacio e Pepe Inspired by Roma Sparita

Artichoke and Spinach Ravioli in a Brown Butter Sauce

Pizza al Taglio at Pizzarium in Rome

Pugliese Pasta and Making Pasta by Hand: A Lesson with Nonna Vata

Crimini Mushroom Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce

Slow-Cooked Meat Ragu to Honor Mom

Rome With a View - Five Favorite Spots for Photo Ops in Rome

 

 Every street in Rome has at least one spot for a fabulous photo op.  With all the food I eat when I’m in Rome, it’s no wonder that my favorite views require a climb.  Not only are they great places to snap some photos, these five lofty locations let you look in awe at the Eternal City.

The Terrace atop the Castel St. Angelo

From the terrace, you look down on the celestial sculptures that line the Bridge of Angels and the Tiber as it winds its way through the city.  To your right you have a birds-eye view of the grand buildings along the Via della Concezione leading to St. Peter’s Basilica.  Spanning out in front of you are church domes, bell towers and building tops of the city center.  In the distance, Rome's hills rise up and showcase the giant monuments that adorn them.  Even farther in the distance are the rolling hills of the Castelli Romani.  They provide a lush green backdrop in the day and one of sparkling lights, glimmering like fireflies, at night.

The Garden of Oranges (Giardino degli Aranci)

The garden, which sits on Aventine Hill, is one of the most tranquil spots in the city center.  The park, bordered by orange trees, is known for being a lover’s lane for teenagers, but it's also a quiet place to rest or read.  The granite terrace at the end of the garden gives you a northward view of the city.  St Peter’s dome dominates the skyline.  There are several ways to reach the hill, but the easiest to find is the one across from the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin (housing the Mouth of Truth, made famous by Roman Holiday). You make a short climb along a zigzagged lane to reach the top of the hill and the park.  Before descending back down, walk west to the Maltese Embassy. Look into the tiny keyhole of its green door to see the dome of St. Peter’s artistically framed in an arbor of greenery.





Atop the Dome at Saint Peter’s Basilica

From here you have heavenly views above Saint Peter’s square and the welcoming arms of the Bernini colonnades.  Just as amazing are the 360 degree view of Rome and the lush Vatican Gardens.  From the entrance to the top of the dome, it’s a 320 step climb.  If climbing the cupola is not your cup of tea, you can take the elevator to the roof, and greatly shorten the distance.  You do need to take the stairs for the final ascent to the top of the dome.

Janiculum Hill (Monte Gianicolo)

From Janiculum Hill, not one of the original seven hills of Rome, the chaos of Rome is far away.  You look onto terra cotta roof tops that span infinitely outward.  All the important monuments are in the distance, but they seem to belong to another city altogether - the Colosseum, the Baths of Caracalla, the grey block of cement that is Quirinale, the circular castle of St. Angelo, the Pantheon, the massive Monument Vittorio Emanuele; all are easy to locate.  As you descend south, towards Trastevere, there is a bar next to Aqcua Paola's Fountain (Il Fontanone).  It’s a treat to sit, drink and look out onto the sprawling city lights.  It is a long and steady climb up via Garibaldi.  If you would rather reserve your energy, you can take the mini bus #115 that stops along Viale Trastevere and brings you up the hill.



Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio)

Michael Angelo designed the Piazza Campidoglio to be a capitol for the “new” Rome, adding another building, Palazzo Senatorio, so the square now faces St. Peter’s Basilica.  Prior to Michael Angelo’s design, Capitoline Hill looked out onto “old” Rome and the Forum.  Either view is a commanding one, but I prefer the view of the forum where the Colosseum looms in background.

 

Wow, that was a workout!  I think I need another plate of pasta.

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Where is your favorite view of Rome or spot for a photo op?

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Cacio e Pepe Inspired by Roma Sparita

Favorite Parks in Paris to Picnic

Cacio e Pepe Inspired by Roma Sparita

 

 

 

I just returned from five weeks of eating my way through Italy….again. My last stop was Rome, one of my favorite food cities. I planned every pasta, secondo, snack and gelato I’d eat before my train pulled into Rome’s Termini station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wherever I’m eating in Italy, but especially Rome, I’m the eager diner with 21 questions about how the dish is made, ingredients, temperatures, etc. When the place is less crowded and a family-run business, they love my enthusiasm for the food and answer all questions with a smile. When it’s crowded, well, the waiters blow by my table before I can say, “scusi.” My mission this trip: Eat enough and ask loads of questions, so I could recreate my favorite Roman pasta dishes. After many questions and great conversations, I was ready to get cooking.

Not only that, when I got home, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation’s was in Rome. While many of you were watching the fight scene and trying to read along with the subtitles (you know who you are), I had my eyes firmly fixed on the happenings in the kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper) is a classic dish. It’s the simplest Roman pasta to make – you need pasta water, Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly ground pepper, and maybe a little butter. When in Rome, you should try it, at least once. Ask any Roman where to go for some of the best Cacio e Pepe, and they’ll tell you Roma Sparita. To make things even better, we had a back-kitchen pass to see the chef make it on No Reservations Rome.

The recipe below is inspired by Roma Sparita’s version of Cacio e Pepe, right down to serving it in the Parmigiano bowl. Purists beware - butter is in this recipe. It’s not in the classical version, but the chef at Roma Sparita put it in. (He added it before the pepper.) I’m sure the butter helps to more easily create the creaminess of the cheese “sauce,” not really a sauce but a cheesy coating. The quantities below are based on what I saw (a handful here, a ladle there); the results - a silky, salty and cheesey coating on each strand of pasta. With each forkful, the flecks of pepper cling to the cheese and add some heat.

 

 

 

 

 

This week, and maybe much of next, is dedicated to Rome. The blog won’t be in black and white (maybe I’ll pay a short homage to Bourdain and Fellini), and you won’t hear me talk about any angst, alienation, or existential B.S. Here, on the blog, instead I'll be celebrating all that I love about the Eternal City - recreating what I ate, and dishing about some of my favorite finds (food and otherwise).

 

 

Cacio e Pepe alla Roma Sparita

(Serves 2 people)

Half pound spaghetti

About 6 cups well-salted boiling water

For the “sauce”:

About 1 1/2 cups (2 large ladles) boiling pasta water

1 tablespoon freshly, coarsely grated pepper, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons butter

1 3/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish

For the Parmesan bowl:

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Regiano cheese

 

To make the Parmesan bowl, spread a very thin layer of the cheese onto a slightly warmed non-stick pan in the form of a circle, about six inches in diameter. (The cheese should slowly start to melt when you place it into the pan.) Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Using a spatula, slide the cheese circle out of the pan and onto a turned over bowl. (To create a pretty bowl like that at Roma Sparita, it’s best to use a mold/bowl that’s not higher than 2 inches, letting the excess fan out with creases at the edges.) Use tongs to press the cheese, only while it’s hot, down or out, as you like. Cool while you make the pasta.

Cook the pasta according to the directions for that brand. When the pasta is not quite cooked, about 3 minutes before you would normally take it out of the water, add the boiling pasta water, the butter and the pepper to a hot saute pan. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss through the water mixture until the pasta absorbs almost all of the water. Remove from the heat, and add the grated cheese to the pasta. Quickly stir the cheese into the pasta. Place into the Parmesan cup and garnish with more grated cheese and freshly grated pepper, to taste. Buon Appetito!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Posts:

Roman Pasta Dishes and 10 Places to Eat Then in Rome

Food in Rome: Taste of Testaccio is Offal

Best Picnic Spots and Picnic Fare in Rome

Pizza al Taglio at Pizzarium in Rome

Caramel Gelato and Favorite Gelaterie in Rome

Pugliese Pasta and Making Pasta by Hand: A Lesson with Nonna Vata

Pasta all' Amatriciana

Potato Gnocchi for Gnocchi Giovedi in Rome

Artichoke and Spinach Ravioli in Brown Butter Sauce

 

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Rome with a View - Five Favorite Spots for Photo Ops in Rome

The Dish from Naples Italy - Pizza Margherita Napoletana

  

(Pizza Margherita from Da Michele in Naples)

  

I’m giving you two dishes of Pizza Margherita from Naples.  One is from the famous Da Michele, most recently highlighted in the book and movie Eat Pray Love, and, the other, from Pizzeria Trianon da Ciro. 

Pizza is the pride of Naples.  They boast being its creator, so much so that there is an association for the Verace Pizza Napoletana (real Naples pizza).  If you follow VPN's strict eleven-page "Method of Production" (regulating everything, even the temperature at which you bake the pizza), they will give you their stamp of approval, a sign with Pulcinella as pizza maker for your storefront.

  

 Pizza Margherita DOC from Trianon da Ciro

 

  

Since it's such serious business, I asked locals and expats living there, “Where is the best pizzeria in Naples?”  A definitive answer should be easy, right?  Not! What I got was the name of a different pizzeria from each person I asked. It’s like asking a Parisien, “Who makes the best baguette?”  It’s personal, and each person has a strong opinion on the subject.  I had to find my own “best pizza in Naples.”  There was only one problem; I wasn’t going to be there long enough to try every pizzeria, not even when I narrowed it down to a list of best pizzerie in Naples or this list, or this, or even the list of Verace Pizzerie in Napoli (Certified “real pizza of Naples”).  Instead, I went to two, Pizzeria Trianon da Ciro and the famous Da Michele. 

 

 
 

I went to Trianon da Ciro first.  My friend and I, both Naples pizza-eating virgins,  and our virgin status was obvious from the moment we stepped into the doorway.   Wide-eyed, anxious, and enamored with the pizzaioli (pizza makers), we stared open-mouthed while watching them work.  You would think they were performing some life-saving operation instead of stretching dough, topping it and sliding it in the wood-burning oven.  We asked the rock star, uhm I mean, pizzaiolo if we could take a picture with him.  His smirk was one of amusement as this is a typical question of tourists, and he appeased us, even dressed me in his hat and apron.  The three-story pizzeria was crowded with Napoletani shouting out their orders to the waiters as if they were asking their moms to make them a pizza, “Mi fai una marghertia…”  (Make me a Margherita).  My friend and I each ordered the house specialty, the Margherita DOC.  It’s a pizza with buffalo milk mozzarella, freshly sliced tomatoes, and topped with olive oil and basil,  no tomato sauce.  The crust was crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy inside.  It was loaded with milky mozzarella and sweet tomato flavors, with an occasional burst of basil here and there.  Simplicity, intensity, perfection in each bite.  We each ate our whole pizza, moaning, slurping and sighing the entire time.  Our reactions more closely resembled Meg Ryan’s restaurant scene in Harry Met Sally than Julia Robert’s “Embrace your muffin top" discourse in Eat Pray Love. 

 

  

  

After a walking tour of the old streets and churches of Naples with Bonnie from NapoliUnplugged, she and I checked out Da Michele.  She had never been to Da Michele, either.  (Her favorite pizza Napoletana is actually on the island of Ischia.)  Outside Da Michele was packed with people, many were guide-book toting travelers, waiting for tables.  I was both relieved and suspicious when they gave us a ticket with a number on it.  We would only have to wait for our number to be called, and not have to elbow our way to the front.  But, really?  Numbers, organization in Naples?  Confused and taken aback, I wondered, was I still in Italy, in Naples? Our number was called; we were rushed to our seats.  The waiter came, stood above us and waited for our order.  He might have even spoken in English (it all happened so fast, I’m not sure). We had only two choices, pizza margherita (fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt) or pizza marinara (fresh tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt), both 4 euros.  We could get doppia mozzarella (double cheese) for 1.50 euros extra, but we didn’t.  He came back about 5 minutes later with our orders.   It was an authentic, traditional pizza margherita.  The shape was oblong, with the required bubbling edges and char marks, but the crust was neither chewy nor crisp.  The sauce lacked the sweetness that I’m used to in San Marzano tomatoes.  The cheese was fior di latte—cow's milk mozzarella, normal in pizza margherita.  I prefer the more milky flavor of buffalo mozzarella, and I should have had the doppia.  There was no excitement as we ate, no fireworks. It was good, sufficient, nothing more.  We ate, we paid, we left. 

 

 

  

 

  

Obviously for me, Pizzeria Trianon da Ciro is the winner in this pizza face-off.   Were my expectations too high because of all the hype surrounding Da Michele?  Was it an off-day for them?  Will nothing be as good as my first pizza Napoletana experience?  I don't know, but as I said, pizza is personal, and I am certain in my pizzeria preference.  There is much more to the food of Naples and to Naples in general, than just pizza, but I’m definitely going back on a longer pizza-eating mission. 

 

After Bonnie had me laughing at the antics of the Napoletani on New Year’s Eve, I’m hoping to be there then.  One thing is certain, I will always remember the magical night at Trianon da Ciro and my first pizza in Napoli.

 

 

 

Location Information:

Trianon da Ciro (via P. Colletta 46) and Da Michele (via Sersale 13) are actually across the street, or across the little piazza, from each other.  Both can be reached by bus R2 or any bus that runs along Corso Umberto (Take the stop at Via Colletta)

 

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Where is your favorite pizzeria, in Napoli or elsewhere? 

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Related Posts:

 

Pizza Lover's Odyssey in Naples Italy  

Pasta alla Genovese and Other Neapolitan Sauces at Citta del Gusto

 

Journey Through the Pastries of Naples

 

Dining Around Naples with Napoli Unplugged

 

Photo Tour of Spaccanapoli and Napoli's Historic Center

 

Neapolitan Style Mussels

 

Taste of Napoli - 15 Favorite Dishes for the Food Lover in Naples

 

 

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Daily Dish from Liguria: Trofie al Pesto

 

Gianduja Nutella Cheesecake

Camogli - One of Many Picturesque Towns in Liguria

 

  

On the train ride from Milan to the Cinque Terre, the lady next to me said, “Once I get to Genoa, I’m on vacation.”  She explained that once we left Genoa, our view for the rest of the ride would be of the blue Mediterranean Sea, and to her the sea meant vacation.  She was partly right.  We had a view of the sea, but we also saw one picturesque beach town after another, strung together like jewels on a necklace.  Some of these gems I’ve visited before.  Others I’ve just passed by on the train.  This trip I lingered in Liguria a bit longer than planned and visited (or revisited) some of its coastline towns. 

  

 

 

  

Lore has it that Camogli (pronounced cah-mō-yee) gets its name from Ca’ mogli (case delle mogli), meaning house of the wives.  A name dedicated to the wives, of sailors and fishermen, who looked after the town while their husbands were away at sea.  The name actually dates farther back than that, from Camuli, the Ligurian-Celtic deity.  (I like the “houses of the wives” version better.)  It is somewhere in size between a town and a village is divided by the rocky outcrop that houses the Dragon Castle and the town's basilica. One one side is the beach, and the other is the harbor.

  

 

  

From the beachfront, tall pastel-colored houses climb up and back against the hillside.  The houses’ reflections dance upon the sea with each little wave.  The facades are also elaborately decorated in Tromp l’Oeil.  It’s not really a window frame you’re seeing; no it’s just a painting of one.  So many times I did a double take to see that the woman or cat in the window was not real, but a painting.  You could spend weeks weaving your way in and out of the caruggi (narrow alleyways) of the town and discerning Tromp l’Oeil from reality.

 

 

  

The harbor, which is packed with little boats, is located at the north eastern tip of the curved coastline. Camogli is still a fishing town, and the harbor smells of the sea and fish.  Fishing nets are strewn on the ground and hung on railings to dry.  An old lighthouse sits at the end of the harbor's entrance.

 

 

Besides walking the beachfront and meandering through the maze of caruggi, there is plenty to do and see in Camogli:

 

   

  

Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta - The town's church while looking quite plain on the outside has a very decorative baroque interior.

  

Museo Marinaro - To learn about Camogli's seafaring history, visit the Marinaro Museum.

  

Hike – There are four hikes you can do, ranging in time from 30 minutes to about 4 hours.  (I would strongly advise against attempting any of these hikes during a July heat wave with temperatures of 40°C, 80% humidity and only a half liter bottle of water with you.)

•  A 30-minute hike to San Rocco – An uphill climb from Camogli takes you to the pretty church, San Rocco. The views of Camogli are also gorgeous.

• An hour-hike to Punta Chiappa – Point Chiappa lies at the end of Camogli’s arched coastline. It’s reachable only by foot or boat and is an idyllic place to swim.

 

• 3 hour hike to San Fruttuoso – A rigorous hike from Camogli, San Fruttuoso is both an abbey and the name of the village that lies in an indentation of land in the Portofino Promontory.
  

• 4 hour hike to Portofino – For those who love activity, take the long hike, with a steep incline from San Fruttuoso, to Portofino.

 

 

  

Take a Ferry – You can actually avoid any physical activity and ride in one of the ferries.  Golfo Paradiso Ferries will take you to each of the locations mentioned above.

 

  

Beach Activities – Soak up the sun on a lettino (sun bed) rent a kayak or paddleboat (definitely my favorite activity while in Liguria).

 

 

 

  

  

Foodie Finds in Camogli:

 

  

Outdoor Food Market – Market day is every Wednesday from 8am – 1pm along Via della Repubblica.

 

  

Camogliesi and Focaccia – You can find tasty versions of these local specialties at Pasticceria e Focacceria Revello along the beachfront on Via Garibaldi.  They claim to have been the first to make the town's sweet treats, camogliesi,  a rich pastry made with chocolate and rum flavored cream. 

 

 

 

  

Festivals in Camogli:

 

  

Sagra del Pesce – A huge street festival and fish fry to pay homage to Saint Fortunato who looked over the fishermen as they headed out to sea after World War II.  A huge frying pan is set along the harbor, and fish is fried and distributed, free of charge, to those attending.  It’s held on the second Sunday of May.

 

  

Stella Maris – A more serious and religious festival held on the first Sunday in August.  Garland clad boats, canoes, rafts, and any other kind of floating device head out to Punta Chiappa for a special mass.  At night the town lights are dimmed and lights are sent out to see, either from a small boat or with candles set inside paper cups.  Each light represents a sailor's soul. 

  

Innamorati a Camogli - The Saint Valentine's Day celebration starts the week leading up to St. Valentine's Day.  During the week, Camogli is entirely dedicated to lovers.  Hearts are strung everywhere, even on fishing nets.  The weekly Wednesday market's theme is love.  There are poetry and art competitions dedicated to love.  The winning artist will have his/her painting cast onto the next year's commemorative plate, which some restaurants give to lovers celebrating St. Valentines in Camogli.  "Ahhhh, how sweet," you're probably saying fecetiously. (But, being such a dreamy town, this is a perfect place to celebrate being in love.)

 

 

   

 

  

Getting There and Useful Websites:

 

  

If you’re coming from the north, it’s a 30-minute train ride from Genova’s P. Principe station, from Milan, about 2 ½ hours.  Coming from the south, it’s a 1-hour train ride from La Spezia.  Italy’s rail system website

 

  

Camogli Tourist Board (Its physical location is across from the train station on Via della Repubblica.)

 

  

Information on Liguria

 

Golfo Paradiso Ferry Service

More photos of Camogli

 

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When you're on vacation, what tourist activity do you enjoy most? 

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Related Posts:

The Cinque Terre - My Happy Place

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The Dish from Liguria: Spaghetti allo Scoglio

The Dish from Liguria: Fish Ravioli in a Seafood Sauce

The Dish from Liguria: Trofie al Pesto

A Drive Along the Amalfi Coast 

Good Views and Good Eats in Taormina

A Taste of the Sea and Spaghetti Siracusana

The Dish from Italy: Trofie al Pesto

 

  

Trofie al Pesto is probably the most famous of dishes from Liguria. The dense green pesto wraps itself around each turn of the trofie, and in each strip of pasta there is a taste of Liguria.  There are only seven ingredients in the pesto sauce; basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, two types of cheese, pine nuts, and salt.   

  

The official recipe for Pesto Genovese makes it clear that not any ingredient will do.  The ingredient list calls for very specific types of ingredients and those of the highest quality.  The basil must be basilico Genovese, of course, and it states that the basil should also be young and fresh (giovane e fresco).  The olive oil should be extra-virgin, from Liguria and not be too strong.  The garlic should be sweet and of the best quality.  The Parmigiano Reggiano must be DOP grade and the Pecorino can only come from one of four regions; Rome, Tuscany, Sardegna or Sicily.  If your pesto doesn’t meet the list of requirements, you cannot call it Pesto Genovese.

 

  

The directions for preparing the pesto, at times reads more like the Kama Sutra.  They begin by stating, “To make real Pesto Genovese you need a marble mortar, a wood pestle and a lot of work and patience.”  The directions continue on like this: Add a little of the salt and a little of the basil leaves, don't add either all at once. With a gentle and prolonged movement rotate the pestle against the mortar to slowly coax the flavor from the leaves.  Your movements should not be too harsh or too slow.  Too harsh and you risk bruising the leaves and making them bitter, too slow and you risk oxidation.  (I had to double check that I was actually reading a cooking recipe and not something else.)  The official recipe allows for making pesto in a food processor, but warns that it won’t be as good (nor as fun).  Along with an official recipe, there is also a Pesto Genovese Consortium, and a bi-yearly Pesto Championship.  Ligurians take their pesto seriously.

  

 

  

You might be inclined to think that with all these rules and regulations, all the pesto in Liguria is about the same.  Hardly.  Each home, trattoria and restaurant has its own uniquely flavored and textured pesto.  (I guess it’s all in the wrist motion of the maker.) Some are good, while some sauces are thin, watery even, and lacking much basil flavor.  Others are thick, chewy and an overdose of basil.  For me a perfect pesto keeps basil as the star but brings all the other ingredients together in a way that creates a balance of density and creaminess.

  

One of my favortie pesto sauces comes from Ristorante Pizzeria Vulnetia in Vernazza (the Cinque Terre).  Vulnetia, with its small cluster of umbrellas, hides in the corner of Piazza Marconi, the piazza on the marina.  It can easily get lost amongst the bigger umbrellas of the other guide-book listed trattorie in the piazza, but it's definitely worth a visit.