This is my third and final post of the day, again a quick one, but really wanted to get this one on as not only does it go perfectly with my Gnocchi di Semola but later in the week I am making Lasagne al Pesto, Hubby is making the lasagne sheets and very kindly made me two large patches of Pesto for the lasagne recipe and a pea and pesto risotto I will be cooking on Friday.

I have a couple of Pesto recipes on my blog, but not a traditional basil one and when Hubby made this we realised that it was one of the nicest Pesto’s we have ever had. Pesto is traditionally hand pounded, it comes from Liguria, where it is believed that the basil that grows along the Ligurian coast, a variety known as Genovese, is to be a symbol of love. I think that is really lovely, this was probably due to the fact that the hours and effort it took to hand-pound enough pesto for a whole family really showed how much you love them, and even though today ours was made in a food processor doesn’t mean that it wasn’t made with any less love.

So please keep watch, as hopefully later in the week or beginning of the next week, I should be bringing you some gorgeous recipes to try this Pesto out on.

Buon appetito

basil

 

3 cups dry, clean and very tightly packed basil leaves
5 small to medium cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
2 cups (4 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of salt

Place the basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor. Process continuously or in pulses until the basil is pureed, it takes about 15 seconds. Add the pine nuts, grated Parmesan, lemon zest and salt. Pulse only for a few seconds more, until the ingredients have combined into a rough paste.

Serve with gnocchi, pasta, or however you wish.