Sarah Don’s recipe for pesto
Every year I grow scores of basil plants from seed, and 99 per cent of them are used to make pesto, which we eat fresh with pasta, potatoes and good bread, or freeze for winter consumption. Every batch is slightly different, but to my mind any pesto made from basil picked fresh from the garden and grown well (which essentially means fast and without being checked by cold or lack of water, both of which make the leaves turn leathery and cause the plants to flower prematurely) is simply delicious.
85g fresh basil leaves 30g pine nuts 1 large garlic clove Pinch of sea salt 100ml olive oil 75g Parmesan cheese, grated
Put the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic and salt into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until everything is roughly chopped. It is important not to overprocess, as it will turn to sludge. Add the olive oil in a thin stream through the top of the processor and pulse until combined. Finally, stir in the cheese. Alternatively use a pestle and mortar to grind the mixture to a paste. Use rough sea salt, as this acts as an abrasive and helps to grind the leaves. This method is slower than a food processor and more work – but much more fun! If you are using the pesto for pasta, drain the pasta, and retain about a tablespoon of the cooking liquid. Add a knob of butter to the pan, plus the retained cooking water. Put the drained pasta into it and mix in the fresh pesto. Add more oil if necessary and serve immediately with more grated cheese.