Here’s a recipe the lazy shopper will like. All you need is five ingredients and you have a super sauce/condiment that can add zing to everything from pasta to pizza and grilled veggies.
While most Italian recipes call for pine nuts, which are so very expensive, I recommend using walnuts, which work a treat. You can make this in a blender, but a pestle and mortar yield the best results. Think of it as a workout for your wrist and elbow.
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
2 packed cups basil leaves
3-4 cloves garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp grated parmesan
Coarse salt, to taste
Method
Wash and dry the basil leaves.
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Put the garlic and salt into a spacious mortar and crush roughly.
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Next, put in the basil leaves a few at a time and pound till they turn into a rough paste.
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Moisten with the olive oil as you go along and then add the rest of the oil.
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Stir in the cheese and your pesto is ready to use.
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Note: If you can’t find parmesan – and also because it’s expensive – feel free to use a sharp-flavoured cheddar. Even the local brands work just fine.
If you really can’t bear the thought of all that pounding, run the whole thing through a blender.
Use the pesto as a sauce for pasta. It’s traditional to boil green beans and potatoes with the pasta for this dish.
Replace the tomato sauce in pizza with pesto for a herb-scented flavour.
Serve the pesto over grilled chicken or with a bowl of grilled veggies.
