Italian cuisine has many accompaniments, one of which is a bright green sauce called pesto. This flavourful and fragrant condiment is fresh, nutty and rich. From pizzas to pastas to bruschettas to focaccias, pesto goes beautifully with everything. What's pesto made of? Let's find out.
What is pesto?
Pesto comes from the Italian word for "pound" since the ingredients are pounded with a pestle before mixing them with olive oil. It originates from Genoa in Italy and has a fresh flavour.
There are two predecessors to pesto sauce: moretum of ancient Rome and agliata from the Middle Ages. Pesto can be used both as an accompaniment and as a condiment to flavour food.
The ingredients for pesto can vary according to the region and the food. The most common ones include basil, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan cheese. Vegan varieties hold back on the parmesan and in some recipes, sun-dried tomato is used instead of basil.
Even a small amount of pesto can pack a flavourful punch and can be added to cooked pasta, salad dressings, pizza sauce, sandwich spreads, wraps, marinades, etc.
Almost always, uncooked ingredients are used for authentic pesto sauce.
Pesto nutrition and calories
A 100 gram serving of pesto (1/2 a cup) provides the following nutrients:
| Nutrients | Daily Measure |
| Calories | 646 |
| Fat | 64 gm (98%) |
| Cholesterol | 30 mg (10%) |
| Sodium | 632 mg (26%) |
| Potassium | 266 mg (8%) |
| Total carbohydrates | 9.4 gm (3%) |
| Dietary fibre | 1.2 gm (5%) |
| Sugars | 1 gm |
| Proteins | 13.8 gm |
| Vitamin A | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 7% |
| Calcium | 26% |
| Iron | 12.6% |
Health benefits of pesto sauce
Pesto contains a variety of bioactive compounds, vitamins, minerals healthy fats and proteins, but since only a small amount is consumed, the benefits may not be tangible.
Since cheese, oil and nuts form the base of pesto sauce, it's high in calories. However, the fat is mono and polyunsaturated fats, which are good for heart health. It's also low in carbohydrates.
The nutrients in pesto can offer many health benefits and regular consumption can ward off heart diseases; diabetes; cancers of the breast, stomach, pancreas and liver; and neurodegenerative disorders. Following are some of the health benefits of pesto.
- Full of antioxidants
- Good for heart health
- Reduces blood pressure
- Reduces cancer risk
- Can lower cholesterol
- Can help in weight management
- Reduces inflammation
Good for heart health: While pesto is high in fats, it contains heart-friendly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are good for heart health. They can reduce the harmful LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol levels. Antioxidants like allicin, lutein, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and vitamin E also promote cardiovascular health.
May lead to weight loss: Despite being high in calories, pesto is good for weight reduction and is a big part of the Mediterranean diet. Regular consumption of pesto sauce can aid weight loss and weight management.
References:
1. Marta Guasch-Ferré, Gang Liu, Yanping Li, Laura Sampson, JoAnn E. Manson, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Miguel A. Martínez-González, Meir J. Stampfer, Walter C. Willett, Qi Sun, Frank B. Hu,
Olive Oil Consumption and Cardiovascular Risk in U.S. Adults,
Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
2. Cohen M. M. (2014). Tulsi - Ocimum sanctum: A herb for all reasons. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 5(4), 251–259. https://doi.org/10.4103/0975-9476.146554
3. Lanza, B., & Ninfali, P. (2020). Antioxidants in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Table Olives: Connections between Agriculture and Processing for Health Choices. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9010041
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