Forget buying a jar of pesto from the supermarket, they are incredibly overpriced and usually full of lower quality ingredients than you can make at home.
4 handfuls fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic
A good pinch of salt
A handful of pine nuts
A handful of grated Parmesan
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
If you have one of those mini food processors then it is perfect to make pesto, if not a large pestle and mortar will do the job with a bit of elbow grease. Put your garlic and salt into the processor and blitz up until smooth. If the garlic isn’t getting fine enough add more salt, as this causes the friction which breaks it up.
Now simply add your basil, pine nuts and Parmesan and blitz again until smooth. If you are using a pestle and mortar you might find it easier to add these one by one. Add a drop of good olive oil until you get the right consistency and hey presto – homemade pesto far better than you can buy off the shelves. Stir into cooked pasta or add to chicken, fish or even pizzas to create scrumptious meals.