Fresh pesto

You can either make this pesto using a mortar and pestle or a food processor. By using a mortar and pestle, you will get a more rustic, chunky pesto whereas a food processor will give you a smoother mixture. Pesto is traditionally made with just basil, as the recipe below shows. However, you can experiment with different ingredients such as peppery rocket leaves, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, walnuts or toasted hazelnuts. Each will give you different textures, flavours and colours which will suit different meals and accompaniments.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
50g freshly grated parmesan cheese
30g pine nuts
30g fresh basil
100ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

If using a food processor, add all the ingredients and pulse the processor until you have a chunky paste but not a puree.
If using a mortar and pestle, grind the dry ingredients together until they are of the right consistency. Transfer to a bowl and add the olive oil and mix together well.

Once the pesto is made, it can be stored for a good few weeks. Simply transfer to a clean jar and cover with a layer of olive oil.

This pesto can be used in many different recipes such as with pasta, as a crust on salmon fillets or as a topping in a homemade tomato soup. Or simply use it as a dip for a starter.