Take a seat for a mouthwatering recipe for homemade green pesto with basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Claudia learned how to make this delicious pesto in Trebiano, Cinque Terre.

Making pesto is something Italians do almost daily, it therefore rightfully belongs to the classic Italian kitchen. It is easy, fast to prepare and filled with love of course. You can prepare it ‘the Dutch way’ with a food processor but we recommend that the Italian masters do it with a mortar and pestle. This way, the flavours remain more recognisable and delicious.

Ingredients
1 garlic clove
2 generous handful of basil
1 handful of pine nuts
Grated parmesan cheese (6 teaspoons)
Olive oil
Salt

You start by selecting the basil leaves. I have noticed that it is important to only pick the beautiful leaves (the best leaves), full green coloured leaves and not the slightly less coloured or half torn leaves. Next, you place the leaves in a large container with water so that you can wash the them well. Put the leaves in a sieve when they are cleaned. Place the leaves on a clean towel and leave them to dry completely.

Grind the garlic and pine nuts together. Then add the basil leaves and grind into a green mass. Crushing the basil leaves takes some time but it is worth it, trust me. The pesto will have a coarser structure and will be a lot more aromatic.

Finally, carefully pour in the olive oil little by little, mix well and stay alert (Mario: ‘attenta, attenta’). The pesto should not be too dry but not too oily either. The last and final step; add the grated parmesan cheese. Let the pesto rest for a few minutes and taste if it needs more seasoning, or a bit more of one of the ingredients.

Enjoy amore,