Making your own pesto is super easy, super quick and super yummy. The homemade version is so bright, vibrant, packed with flavour and easily superior to store-bought. It’s a really great example of simple food made with just a few ingredients. I make it in my little pestle and mortar, and I find it so enjoyable, it’s easier than you might expect and everything can be done while the pasta is cooking. With a bit of experience you won’t need to measure anything, just keep tasting and adding extra until you get the sauce that tastes best to you.
Ingredients
Serves 1
75g spaghetti
1 clove of garlic (just one)
big handful of basil
10g pine nuts
extra virgin olive oil
30g Italian hard cheese
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in boiling water according to the packet instructions.
- Start with the garlic, crushing it in the pestle and mortar.
- Next, add the basil, you don’t need to chop or tear, just keep bashing and muddling with the pestle. Add a little oil if that makes things easier.
- Add the pine nuts and crush and mix them in.
- Add the oil, then the grated cheese.
- When the pasta is cooked add to a heatproof bowl with a little pasta water and the pesto, and mix and toss until combined, then serve.
Key Tip
Keep tasting as you go and remember the garlic is raw here so you don’t need as much!
Suggestions for leftovers
Leftover basil would go great with tomato, you could stir it into a tomato-based stew like a ratatouille. And if you have lots of cheese left this pasta dish is a fantastic way to use it up.
