Extra-virgin olive oil is used in the traditional recipe for pesto sauce.
Pesto originated in Liguria, at the northwestern region of Italy, one of the first regions in Europe to cultivate basil, according to Pesto Recipe website. The sauce is traditionally made with extra-virgin olive oil, basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic and grated hard cheese. It is used in pastas, polenta, pizzas and other dishes. A red version of the green pesto sauce comes from southern Italy, and uses sun-dried tomatoes and red peppers instead of basil. Although fragrant olive oil is by far the best option when making pesto, some recipes substitute it for other oils, such as canola and sesame oils.
Olive Oil
Olive oil can be made using different processes. When the oil is extracted from the olives using only mechanical means and without using heat, the result is the dense and fragrant extra-virgin olive oil. According to European Union regulations, virgin olive oil is the product of lower quality olives. Finally, olive oil is the result of a refining process, which involves the use of heat.
Canola Oil
Some plants of the Brassica family produce small seeds, which are used to produce the canola oil, the healthiest of all vegetable oils for its low content of saturated fatty acids, according to the Canola Info website. A mixture of olive and canola oils can be used in pesto recipes, thus reducing the sauce's fat content.
Sesame Oil
Sesame is a plant common in Africa and India, which produce sesame seed used to decorate breads and to produce edible oil. My Recipes website suggests an Asian version of the traditional Italian recipe, substituting sesame oil for olive oil, roasted peanuts for the pine nuts, and adding fish sauce, sugar and rice vinegar to the traditional ingredients.
Tags: extra-virgin olive, pesto sauce, pine nuts