Homemade pesto.

The first basil harvest !

There is no greater purpose for a big bunch of fresh basil than to make pesto .

Today the traditional way using the mortar and pestle, requires a bit of work, but enhances the scent of the basil and gives a great texture. You can use your food processor, you will end up with a good result, but nevertheless I prefer the traditional way.

Ingredients.

• 25 g the basil leaves
• 35 g grated Parmesan
• 15 g grated pecorino
• 8 g pine nuts
• 50 ml EVO
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 pinch coarse salt

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It’s Important to say that the basil leaves are not washed, but cleaned with a soft cloth.

Start preparing the pesto by placing the peeled garlic in the mortar together with a pinch of coarse salt ( helps to break up the fibers and maintain a nice bright green color)

Crunch the basil against the walls of the mortar by rotating the pestle from left to right and at the same time rotate the mortar in the opposite direction ( right to left ) continue like this until a bright green liquid comes out of the basil leaves, at this point add the pine nuts and start beating again to reduce to cream . Add the cheese little by little, stirring constantly to make the pesto even more creamy, and lastly the EVO, which will be poured slowly, always mixing with the pestle, until you get a homogeneous sauce.

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Your pesto is ready

Use the sauce immediately or store it in a tightly sealed jar, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. It will keep for about a week in the refrigerator

Buon appetito !