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Precious stones
Home-made Pesto Sauce
Every year I grow enough basil leaves to see me through the summer and, most importantly, to make at least one home-made pesto sauce. A lot of precious leaves are needed to make up 2 oz (50 g), but it really is worth it as the home-made version puts all the ready-made ones in the shade. If you can get Pecorino Romano it has a more gutsy flavour than Parmesan but, if you can't, Parmesan will do well.
Serves 2-3 with pasta
Ingredients
2 oz (50 g) fresh basil leaves
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 level tablespoon pine nuts
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 oz (25 g) Pecorino Romano, grated
salt
If you have a blender, put the basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil together with some salt in the goblet and blend until you have a smooth purée. Then transfer the purée to a bowl and stir in the grated Pecorino cheese.
If you don't have a blender, use a large pestle and mortar to pound the basil, garlic and pine nuts to a paste. Slowly add the salt and cheese, then very gradually add the oil until you have obtained a smooth purée.
This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Summer Collection.
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