BASIL PESTO

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cups tightly packed, washed basil leaves

1 larger garlic clove, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese

salt to taste

To serve:

1 (450g) package of pasta (you can use most shapes, here I used rigatoni)

reserved pasta cooking water

Wash basil leaves and dry them.

Put basil, pine nuts, garlic, pinch of salt and olive oil in a food processor (or blender). Pulse and process until creamy, smooth consistency. Add grated Parmigiano cheese and pulse a couple of times, until just blended.

Taste and adjust seasoning (don’t use too much salt to start with, cheese is salty, so adjust the salt later).

Cook pasta in plenty of salted water to desired doneness.

Place hot, drained pasta in a serving bowl and spoon some of the pesto over the top, adding a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water to thin out. Toss and add more pesto if needed or to your liking.

Serve straight away with some extra freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

I like to serve it topped with torn fresh mozzarella or burrata over the top.

If you have any pesto left over, place it in a clean jar and cover with a layer of olive oil. It keeps in the fridge for a few days.

NOTE: Never cook pesto, it should be added to hot pasta and served straight away.