Pesto Genovese

If you can find enough fresh basil to make pesto yourself then it's certainly worth it.

Ingredients:

• 50g pine nuts
• 100g fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 40g parmesan cheese (or vegetarian Italian style hard cheese), finely grated
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Place the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and heat on a medium heat.
2. Move the pine nuts around in the pan every couple of minutes to stop them burning.
3. Once brown patches start to develop on the nuts, remove the pan from the heat.
4. Combine all the ingredients, including the toasted pine nuts, in a blender.
5. Blend until a smooth paste forms.
6. Serve with pasta or on toast. This will keep for a few days in a jar in the fridge as well.

Makes about 200g of pesto (half a normal size jam jar).