Pesto is one of the few things that is genuinely better made at home than bought. The shop version is fine. The fresh version is another thing entirely — bright, alive, tasting of the basil rather than just suggesting it.
The original is from Genoa. At its heart it is three things: basil, parmesan, and good olive oil. Everything else is optional.
What you need
For enough to dress pasta for four:
- A large bunch of fresh basil — roughly 50g of leaves
- 50g parmesan, finely grated
- 100ml good olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 small garlic clove — optional, leave it out if you cannot digest it
- 50g pine nuts — optional, leave them out if you prefer or cannot have nuts
How to make it
If using pine nuts, toast them briefly in a dry pan until pale gold. Watch them — they burn quickly. Leave to cool.
Put everything into a blender and pulse rather than blend continuously. You want texture, not a smooth paste. A few pulses, check, a few more. Or use a pestle and mortar if you have one — pound the garlic first if using, then the pine nuts, then the basil a handful at a time, then stir in the cheese and oil.
Season generously with salt and black pepper. It should taste vivid and smell overwhelmingly of basil.
What you can do with it
Toss through pasta — linguine works well. Stir a spoonful into soup. Spread on toasted bread. Use as a dressing for roasted vegetables. Stir into mashed potato. Spread under the skin of a chicken before roasting.
It keeps in the fridge for up to a week with a layer of olive oil on top to stop it darkening. It freezes well — portion into an ice cube tray and use straight from frozen.
The basil is everything in this. Ask Alba about growing your own.
