How To Make Pesto: The Magic Formula

There's nothing we love more than a big bowl of pesto pasta in this house - particularly on the evenings when we need something easy and quick.

It's is a classic sauce that, personally, I think everyone should know how to make. It instantly lifts an otherwise mundane recipe into something tangy, zesty and moreish.

There's nothing particularly special about my recipe, but the beautiful thing about it is that you can create something magnificent from a few, very humble ingredients, you just need to remember...

HOW TO MAKE PESTO

Pesto Ingredients

The simple formula to follow for a crowd-pleasing sauce is:

Greens + Nuts + Cheese + Oil + Seasoning

Greens

Basil

Spinach

Watercress

Carrot Tops

Tomato Leaves

Nuts

Pine

Walnuts

Hazelnuts

Almonds

Cheese

Parmesan

Pecorino

Grana Padano

Gruyere

Seasonings 

Garlic

Chilli

Salt

Pepper

Lemon Juice

Lime Juice

Mint

Coriander

As far as measurements go, as a rough guide I use:

30g fresh Basil

1tbsp chosen nuts

20-30g grated cheese, usually Grana Padano

2-3tbsp olive oil

You can add as much or little oil as you like depending on how runny you want your pesto sauce. I'll finish it off with a minced clove of garlic, a squirt of lemon juice plus a pinch of salt and chilli flakes.

I highly encourage you to experiment. Mix up your greens, try different nuts, perhaps even a flavoured olive oil, like garlic or chilli. Eventually, you'll land on an irresistible combination that the whole family loves.

How to make pesto:

For the quickest and easiest method, just blend everything together. You can, of course, use a pestle and mortar if you fancy the arm workout.

Start with the greens, nuts and a sprinkle of salt as this will help to break everything down a little easier. Then, add seasoning, cheese and oil - but remember to start slow with this and continue to add more until you're happy.

Add to a pan with cooked pasta, a little of the pasta water, and give everything a toss.

It also makes a brilliant topping for bruschetta, particularly if you use tomato leaves as your greens as these perfectly compliment the fresh tomatoes.