Pesto alla genovese

Ingredients

Quantities for 4 servings.

• 60 g Basil leaves
• 30 g Pine nuts
• 1 clove Garlic
• 50 g Parmesan, finely grated
• 25 g Pecorino, finely grated
• 100 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch Coarse salt

Method

1. Wash the basil and dry it completely: any water stops the oil binding to the leaves. Chill the mortar and pestle in the fridge.
2. Pound the garlic with the coarse salt to a paste. The salt works as an abrasive; without it the garlic just slides around.
3. Add the pine nuts and work them to a cream, then add the basil a handful at a time. The movement is a pressing circle rather than a pounding: the leaves are crushed against the wall, not smashed.
4. Work in both cheeses, then trickle the oil in while still grinding. The sauce should come together thick and even.