Classic basil pesto

When it comes to making pesto, you can’t go wrong with a pestle and mortar. You could make it in a food processor, but you just won’t get the same flavours as when you’re pounding and crushing all that lovely basil by hand. Pesto is normally made with green basil, but purple basil looks good if you can get hold of some.

serves 4

Ingredients

• • ½ a clove of garlic
• • 3 good handfuls of fresh basil
• • a good handful of Parmesan cheese
• • a handful of pine nuts
• • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• • extra virgin olive oil
• • optional: a small squeeze of lemon juice

To prepare your pesto

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• Peel and chop the garlic
• Pick and roughly chop the basil leaves, discard the stalks
• Finely grate the Parmesan cheese

To prepare your pesto

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• Put a frying pan on a medium heat and add the pine nuts
• Keep an eye on them and toss frequently until just starting to turn golden and smelling fantastic

To make your pesto

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• Pound the garlic with a little pinch of salt and the basil leaves in a pestle and mortar - you may need to add the basil leaves in batches if your mortar isn’t big enough
• Add the toasted pine nuts to the mixture and pound again
• Tip into a bowl and add half the grated Parmesan

To make your pesto

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• Stir gently and add a little extra virgin olive oil – you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency
• Have a taste and season with salt and pepper, then add most of the remaining cheese
• Add a little more oil and taste again

To make your pesto

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• Keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency
• You may like to add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a little twang, but it’s not essential – try it with and without and see which you prefer