Spaghetti Genovese is rich with a herby, garlicky, comforting taste!
ABOUT SPAGHETTI GENOVESE
Spaghetti Genovese is a pasta dish made with a savory and cheesy pesto sauce. In Genoese, “pesto” is the past tense of the word “pestâ” meaning “to pound.” Traditionally, pesto was made with a mortar and pestle in which the ingredients were all crushed together. These days we can just use a food processor to blend all the ingredients together, making this an incredibly quick and easy dish. Pesto is made with few ingredients and pairs well with many foods, not just spaghetti. You can eat it with any type of pasta, bread, any protein of your choice, etc. so I recommend making it and keeping it on hand! However, spaghetti is my favorite pasta, so of course I had to use spaghetti hehe.
MATERIALS
- ☆ Food processor
- Or blender or mortar/pestle.
INGREDIENTS (+ SUBSTITUTIONS)
This is a basic list and explanation of the key ingredients. For full list and measurements, please scroll down to the recipe below!
- ☆ Spaghetti
- I used spaghetti because that’s how it was in ACNH, but you can use any pasta shape you want!
- ☆ Basil
- Basil is kind of the main flavor of this dish, so you want to use good quality basil. Fresh basil is best! You can even use Genovese basil if you like as it has a milder sweetness and a more robust and potent flavor.
- ☆ Garlic
- Garlic is traditionally in pesto. I like garlic so I used 4 cloves, but add more or less to your preference!
- ☆ Olive oil
- Olive oil brings the pesto together. Extra virgin olive oil is best, but use what you have and like!
- ☆ Parmesan cheese
- You can also use romano cheese for a stronger taste!
- ☆ Pine nuts/sunflower seeds
- Typically pesto is made with pine nuts, but they can be pretty pricey. A few years ago I learned you can substitute the pine nuts with sunflower seeds, so I’ve been doing that and find it works just as well! You can also use walnuts, pistachio, or almonds if you have them!
TIPS FOR MAKING SPAGHETTI GENOVESE
- ☆ Traditionally, pesto does not contain lemon juice, but you can add it to prevent the pesto from browning. It also adds a nice and fresh acidic flavor to the dish!
MORE PASTA RECIPES! ♡
If you recreate this Spaghetti Genovese recipe, please let me know by tagging me or leaving a comment on Instagram @maruryouri or TikTok @atsuryouri. I’d love to see your creations and hear your feedback!
Spaghetti Genovese
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti dried or fresh
- 50 g basil
- ½ c olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ c parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts or sunflower seeds
- Salt and pepper
- Green beans steamed
- Potato slices fried
Instructions
- First, prepare the pesto. Make sure to properly wash and dry your basil, then add them to a food processor or blender. Add the garlic cloves, pine nuts/sunflower seeds, and about half the olive oil. Pulse until blended together, then add the parmesan and the rest of the olive oil and process again until fully incorporated and set aside for now.
- Prepare your spaghetti according to the package. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Fully drain the pasta and return to the pot
- Add the pesto to the spaghetti and mix together. Add pasta water as needed to make the sauce more creamy and to coat the pasta easier.
- Plate out a portion of the pasta onto a dish and top with green beans, potato, and fresh basil to garnish and the spaghetti genovese is done! 完成です！
Notes
- Traditionally, pesto does not contain lemon juice, but you can add it to prevent the pesto from browning. It also adds a nice and fresh acidic flavor to the dish!
- If you don’t have a processor, you can use a blender, mortar/pestle, or chop the ingredients and mix together by hand.