Feeling like making your own pesto? We explain it in 6 steps.
Needed (for about 1 jar):
* one basil plant
* 30 g (1 oz) Parmesan cheese
* 20 g (3/4 oz) pecorino
* 20 g (3/4 oz) pine nuts
* 1 clove of garlic
* a pinch of sea salt
* 30 mg (1 oz) quality extra virgin olive oil
* 5 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
* a mortar and pestle, skillet, dish, grater, paper towels and a (screw top) jar
- Grate the cheeses as finely as possible and place in a dish. Toast the pine nuts in the skillet until golden brown, stirring frequently. Leave to cool on paper towels. Wipe the basil leaves clean with a paper towel.
- Crush the peeled garlic with salt in the mortar into a fine paste.
- Add the basil leaves and grind down to a green juice.
- Add the pine nuts and grind to a puree; then little by little add the grated cheese. Keep grinding until you get a smooth puree.
- Add small amounts of olive oil until you reach the desired thickness. Season with lemon juice.
- Store the pesto with a topping of olive oil in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. It will stay good for a number of weeks.
Tip: To mix things up, swap the pine nuts for other small nuts, such as pistachios.
- In our other issues you can find more how-to’s.
