Pesto Sauce

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Vegetarian

This recipe is from Delia's Summer Collection.

Every year I grow enough basil leaves to see me through the summer and, most importantly, to make at least one homemade pesto sauce.

A lot of precious leaves are needed to make up 2oz (50g), but it really is worth it as the homemade 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. Vegetarians might like to know you can buy a vegetarian style Parmesan cheese from Bookham and Harrison Farms Ltd

The Delia Online Cookery School: You can now watch how to make Home-made Pesto Sauce in our video, click the image to play.

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Delia's Pestle and Mortar

Asked by: Diane Stubbs

Does Delia recommend a pestal and mortar. If not what would she use to make pesto

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, We use Milton Brook. They come in various sizes. Kind regards Lindsey

Method

Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil together with some salt in a mini-chopper and whizz, then push any unblended basil leaves down with a spatula and whizz again until you have a smooth purée.

Then transfer the purée to a bowl and stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese. If you don't have a mini-chopper, you can 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. If you want to make pesto in advance - cover it with cling film, making sure it actually touches the surface of the sauce. You can keep it in the fridge for a week.