Diarios de Madrid

Two nights ago I was having dinner@home with my compañera de piso Katy and her 2 girlfriends.
I was turning yesterday's leftover rice into fried rice with vegetables and shrimp, they were having spaghetti with pesto from a jar. It just made me think (besides censored) what a waste it was to buy such an inferior pesto when the real deal can be whipped up in minutes.

So here's an easy recipe for fresh pesto.
The only thing you have to think of is to use the best-quality ingredients possible: good virgin olive oil, fresh basil and good quality cheese.

Ingredients

• large handfull of fresh basil leaves
• some pine nuts
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• olive oil
• large pinch of coarse salt
• parmesan, freshly grated
• pecorino romano, also freshly grated
• a knob of butter
• a handblender and the large cup that usually comes with it

This is how we do it

• put basil, pine nuts, salt and clove of garlic into cup
• add olive oil until you have about roughly two thumbs in your cup
• add blender and blend/mix to a coarse paste
• if paste is too dry add more oil
• if you like your pesto a bit finer blend some more
• add cheeses in a 2/3 parmesan, 1/3 pecorino romano ratio
• add knob of butter
• stir the whole mix a few times with a spoon. (licking spoon is optional)

That's it, you're done! All that's left is to cook your linguine and toss them with the pesto before serving. Tastes great with a nice of bottle of Chianti (as recommended to me by H.Lecter) or an australian Syrah.
Other versions you might like to try:

• replace basil with 2/3 fresh mint and 1/3 fresh koriander (this is great on lambchops)
• replace basil with rucola leaves
• replace pine nuts with almonds or pecan nuts for a different texture