A quick and simple way to make a pesto that adds taste, depth and richness to any dish.
Costs £1.20* - £2.20 if you use shop-bought basil
The cost of walnuts, cheese and other things where you're not using an entire bag, block, bulb, etc. The initial purchase of things like olive oil, etc will cost more, but I'm dealing with how much an actual recipe costs.
If you grow sage and have a good bush (...) it's a great way of using up sage leaves before winter. If not, substitute basil for sage, and pine nuts for walnuts to make a classic pesto di Liguria. But you can experiment by substituting any leaves or nuts; different cheeses too.
INGREDIENTS
sage leaves
olive oil
garlic
parmesan or pecorino cheese
walnuts
lime juice
Watch the video
METHOD
Peel the garlic
Grate the cheese
Put everything in a jug
Blitz it
Blitz it till you can't blitz it no more
Add a bit more oil if it's too pasty
Make it to the consistency you want
Put it in a sterilised jar
Top it with oil
Store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks
Don't cook it : just add it to the pasta/potatoes/toast/whatever when they're piping hot