Pestoandtapenadeare two jewels from the Mediterranean pantry, concentrates of flavor ideal for snacks and fast dishes. Let us look at each:

• El Pesto:

  • Origin in Genoa, Liguria (Italy). Traditional Genoese pesto is made withfresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese (and/or pecorine) cheese and extra virgin olive oilall crushed in mortar. In fact, "pesto" comes frompestarecrush. It is a green, aromatic and unctuous sauce.

  • Thatcrude oil, the basil is not cooked, so it retains its alive color and menthol flavor.

  • Types:

    • Pesto Genoese(the one described above) - the most famous.

    • Pesto Trapanese(from Sicily): Carries cherry tomato in addition to basil, sometimes almonds instead of sprocket.

    • Pesto Rosso(red pesto): with dry tomato, walnuts, less basil.

    • Arugula Pesto: modern variant, using arugula instead of basil.

    • It really becomes generic for any herbal sauce crushed with walnuts/cheese, but purist Italians will say that pesto is only Liguria's DOP basil.

  • Classic use:pasta.A good trophy to the Genoese pesto is sublime. It is diluted somewhat with cooking water to cover the pasta evenly out of the fire.

  • Other uses:

    • Asuntable in bruschettas(Test pesto on toast with burrata cheese, oh yes).

    • Insandwiches(a panini of chicken and pesto, delicious).

    • To marinate or dressingmeat and vegetables: a roasted fish with pesto above when serving, or baked potatoes mixed with post-cooking pesto.

    • Insoups(e.g. minestrone ligur soup has a pesto swirl at the end).

  • Storage: Homemade frescoes last 5-7 days in fridge, covered in oil. The jar commercials (such as those of Grand Cucina we sell) come pasteurized or very well preserved, withstand closed months, and once opened in a fridge for about 2 weeks without problem.

  • Health: Pesto is rich in good fats (olive oil, pine nuts), and antioxidants (basil, garlic). Of course, it also has calories of cheese and oil, so moderate, but a tablespoon cheers the dish and is not excessive in the Mediterranean diet.

• La Tapenade:

  • Provencal origin (south of France, particularly Provence region). Name comes fromtapas, which in Occitan means capers.

  • Classical ingredients:olives (traditionally black Nyons or other Mediterranean variety), capers, anchovy fillets, garlicand olive oil. It is crushed to form a rustic paste.

  • It is basically aolives pateintense: salty, umami (by anchovies), and slightly acidic/perfumed (per capers).

  • Variants:

    • Tapenade see you(with green olives, it has more herbal and shallower than black).

    • Modern tapenades add dry tomato, almonds, Provencal herbs, even dried figs for sweet touches, but the classic is black olives.

    • There is something similar in Spain calledolive grove(only olives, without capers/width usually), also tasty but less complex.

  • Use:

    • Star appetizer:Spread on toast, crostini, crackers. With goat cheese on top it is a perfect Provencal bite.

    • Fillings and farms:It can be used to fill chicken breasts (e.g. you make a pocket and put tapenade inside, then bake). Or in roasted carriers.

    • Sauces and pasta:A tablespoon of tapenade can spin a pasta tomato sauce, adding salt depth. Or even simply mix with spaghetti for a fast puttanesque paste (already has anchovy and olive!). In moderation because it is salted.

    • Aliño Mediterranean salads:dilute some tapenade in extra oil and lemon, you have a rustic salad dressing (especially those with tomato, cucumber, tuna...).

    • On meat/fish:A tuna steak sealed with tapenade crust on top; baked lamb with tapenade crust and herbs... They are great gourmet uses.

  • Storage: It lasts a little longer than pesto once opened (capers/anchoes are natural preservatives), but also in fridge 1-2 weeks it is optimal. It always covers with a layer of oil so that it does not rust on the surface.

  • Health: Highly tasty, little is used and cunde. Keep in mind it is salty (anchovies + caper + olive, tripfecta saline) so try before adding salt to which accompanies it.

• General pairing:

  • Pesto (basilico) loves:pasta, fresh cheeses (mozzarella, burrata)chickens, sweet vegetables (e.g. roasted carrot with pesto, surprisingly good), aromatic white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) or light young reds go well.

  • Tapenade loves:bread, robust red wine (Côtes du Rhône), ripe cheeses (faces a Comté or Parmigiano), eggs (test deviled eggs stuffed with a touch of tapenade).

• Products in ExtraVirgen.Store:

  • We havePesto Genovés Grand Cucina(Italian, POP surely with Genoese basil),Pesto Rossotoo.

  • Tapenade Bornibus(Authentic French with traditional recipe), and versions with pepper, tomato, etc., from different brands.

  • Vegan breasts:today there is no cheese, using nutritional yeast for example, for vegans. Check labels, we usually indicate whether vegan fit.

• Gourmet Trick:To surprise guests: mix tapenade with a little cream cheese and fill cherry tomatoes with that mixture, small umami snacks. Or make puff pastry palm trees with pesto inside (a pesto in puff pastry sheet, rolls, short slices and baked; there are spectacular salt biscots).

In conclusion,pestos and tapenadesare shortcuts to intense Mediterranean flavors: pesto takes us to a summer basil garden in Liguria, the tapenade to a sunset in Provence with centuries-old olive trees. And best, with bottles of these in your pantry or fridge, you have "ready sauces" in a second to improvise a gourmet dish.