What Is White Pesto?

Although traditionalists don't consider white pesto to be true pesto, the sauce originates from a tiny village in northern Italy and is characterised by its use of heavy cream rather than the more traditional basil.

Is white pesto really a pesto?

Some would argue that the whole concept of a "white pesto" is a misnomer, and they may well have a point, but when things taste as good as this, we really couldn't care less.

Although white pesto (or Pesto di Pentema, to give it its full Italian name) was made famous by the chef, author, and restauranteur Giada De Laurentiis, its origins can be traced to the tiny village of Pentema, just north-east of Genoa.

There is no official white pesto recipe, but as a general rule, it never contains basil and almost always contains a generous glug of heavy cream. This gives the sauce a silky mouthfeel and a rich, luxurious flavour, although a more frugal version can be made by switching the expensive cream for some milk-soaked bread.

The problem with most of the white pesto recipes you find online is that the resulting sauces are generally quite yellow or grey and not really that white at all. In the name of research, therefore, we've devised what we think could be the whitest pesto ever created.

The ultimate white pesto recipe

How to make white pesto

Start by cutting the garlic clove in half lengthways and removing the green germ that runs down the middle, if present. (We're not going to fall at the first hurdle by allowing any colour into our white sauce!)

Grate the Parmesan and add it, along with the garlic, mozzarella, and pine nuts, to a food processor. Pulse until you've reached your preferred consistency.

Transfer the ingredients to a bowl and add the cream, oil, salt, and pepper. Mix the pesto by hand until everything is fully combined.

How to serve white pesto

We like serving white pesto with spaghetti or linguine, but if you want to go for complete authenticity, serve with trofie.

There is an alternative option if you feel like taking things to the extreme. If you make a simple dough using just egg whites and flour, your pasta won't have the same consistency or depth of flavour as a dough made with egg yolks, but it will produce pasta that is whiter than you probably thought imaginable.