How Italian Chef Massimo Bottura Makes the Perfect Pesto Every Time

Italian chef Massimo Bottura is legendarily innovative. He runs an empire of some of the most forward-thinking restaurants in the world, focusing on traditional dishes and ingredients and spinning them into new and creative interpretations. This approach has garnered a host of accolades, including at his flagship restaurant, the three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, which has twice been ranked No. 1 on the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. When it comes to tips for classic Italian staples, he’s the maestro to ask.

Earlier this year, Bottura hosted a pop-up dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club in Surfside, Florida, cooking alongside Virgilio Martínez of Lima, Peru’s Central and the hotel’s executive chef, Marco Calenzo. The ticketed dinner focused on each of the three chefs’ culinary artistry and unique approach to ingredients. Here, Bottura told me about his methods for one classic Italian staple.

 “Pesto is a state of mind,” Bottura quipped.  “It’s whatever I get from my garden, and I have the most amazing herbs. So I focus on what’s in season.”

Massimo Bottura’s secret pesto ingredient

There are many traditional, regional types of pesto in Italy, including pesto alla Genovese, pesto alla Trapanese, pesto rosso, pesto all’agretto, and pesto Modenese — all of which have slight variations in ingredients. While there are some modern takes that substitute with other greens — think spinach, kale, garlic scapes, and more — the most well-known version, pesto alla Genovese, usually consists of fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Pecorino Sardo cheese. But, as is often the case in Bottura’s general approach to cooking, there’s some room for flexibility.

And there’s one unexpected ingredient that Bottura says makes his pesto a standout. “Instead of using pine nuts, I use breadcrumbs,” he says. “It just makes it lighter and creamier. It’s just wonderful.”

F&W recipe developer Renu Dhar developed a panko pasta recipe inspired by Bottura’s tip, swapping toasted panko for pine nuts to add a toasty, buttery layer to the dish.

Other pesto tips from Massimo Bottura

Bottura’s pesto recipe calls for a combination of basil, parsley, and mint, plus toasted breadcrumbs, two cloves of garlic, about five ice cubes, some extra-virgin olive oil, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, sea salt, and a pinch of sugar to correct against the bitterness of the herbs. He adds them all to a high-speed blender and pulses until he reaches the desired consistency. However, Bottura recommends experimenting with different herbs to get the right flavor profile, and urges cooks to focus on what’s seasonally available.

“There are some herbs that I won’t include in my pesto,” Bottura says. “Rosemary is too overpowering and the same with sage. But most anything else will do: mint, parsley, even thyme. Thyme complements basil and mint without overpowering them.”

The next time you’re looking to use up some of those leftover herbs, take Bottura’s approach and get a bit creative. After all, his restaurant earned the title of best in the world — twice.