Okay, my mamma has never made pesto. As far as I can gather, neither has Gav's mum. What I do know, though, is that the real deal has always been made with olive oil. But, for some reason that I'm sure would have Ligurian mammas holding their hands to their heads, one can't find a bottle out here that is made with even a drop of good old olio d'oliva.
It's the simplest thing to make, so while my basil crop (which I'm proud to say is organic) is still thriving, we'll be eating it in every possible variation. This weekend, it was a basil and sundried tomato version enjoyed just the way it should be... with friends and a good bottle of red.
Sundried tomato and basil pesto
1 cup basil leaves, as fresh as you can get them
½ sundried tomatoes
½ cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic
2-3 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp sea salt
½ cup olive oil
Put all the ingredients in a blender (or mortar and pestle if you need to give those upper arms a workout) and give them a whiz. No mess, no fuss. There's no hard and fast recipe, so add more or less of any of the ingredients if you prefer. And if you can eat dairy, go ahead and add half a cup of parmesan or pecorino. Perfect with gluten-free fusilli, hot or cold. It is also one great way to make dry rice cakes and cold meat a whole lot more interesting.
To store this pesto, refrigerate it well covered with oil so the leaves don't start to brown.
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