Originally from the Italian region of Liguria, pesto is one of Italy’s most popular sauces and is extremely versatile. It can be used on pasta (of course!), salads, toast with a topping of your choice, with proteins like chicken or fish, or as a condiment.
This is a recipe my Mum taught me, but I’ve added lemon to mine for more of a zing and am far less rigid with which cheese to use, especially when you’re on a budget. Instead of pecorino and parmesan, I just go for cheddar unless I feel like splashing out (don’t tell your Italian friends) and use either toasted walnuts, almonds or pine nuts, depending on what I have in the store cupboard. On the theme of chucking things in, I use basil as a base and if there is some parsley or coriander that needs eating, that gets added to the mix too.
Unlike the Italian way, which is traditionally crushed in a pestle and mortar, I use a small Kenwood food processor which is far quicker and gives a lot more texture than a Nutribullet. If you have neither of these, you can chop the ingredients together on a chopping board, but be prepared for it to take time.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- Two large handfuls of basil
- 60g cheddar, grated
- One handful of toasted almonds
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- Juice and zest of half a lemon
Method
- Throw the garlic, basil, cheddar, almonds, lemon zest and juice into the food processor and whizz for one minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil to loosen it up and continue a little at a time until you have the consistency of your choice. Be careful not to overdo the oil as it can become too runny. Top tip: The less oil you add, the longer it keeps.
- Taste and adjust ingredients to how you like and whizz again.
Mamie's Food 
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