Pesto alla Genovese

I remember vividly my first taste of fresh pesto as a teenager on a family holiday to Italy. I think I ordered it every day for either lunch or dinner. I was dying to recreate those flavours when we returned to the UK but back in the Dark Ages it was hard enough to get extra-virgin olive oil let alone fresh basil and pine nuts. As for the parmesan it mostly came in small tubs whose contents resembled smelly sawdust. So my culinary aspirations had to be put on hold for a few years. The ingredients should be pounded with a pestle for an authentic Ligurian pesto but I’m all for an easy life so the food processor wins hands down.