Linguine al Pesto alla Genovese – alla Fabio

1. We start with the basil. Remove the leaves from the stem, as the stems are too grainy and coarse so we want to keep those out otherwise you will taste it in the final pesto. Put 50g basil leaves and a pinch of coarse salt in the mortar.
2. Then we start the technique; turning and applying pressure. Until the basil is broken up and it has become a kind of paste.
3. Now add some more basil leaves, 3 small cubes of pecorino cheese, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and a small handful of pine nuts and start ‘turning’ again. Continue until it is a nice paste.
4. Optional: add a few leaves of parsley. This will give you a nice bright shade of green. Since it is so little, this will not affect the flavour. Tip: you can also use a food processor to grind everything finely if you don’t have a mortar. Just make sure not to grind too long. Heat affects the flavour of the ingredients.
5. Once you have a nice paste, add a dash of Bertolli extra virgin olive oil and half a clove of sliced garlic to allow it to become nice and creamy.
6. Then you’re done, just taste briefly if you have used enough salt at the beginning. If you like, you can also add 3/4 drops of lemon juice for a fresh flavour and colour retention. If you need more pesto, you can use more of the ingredients.
7. Put a pan of water on the heat for the pasta. Add a handful of coarse salt to the water. Cook the dried pasta (approx 80g per person) in plenty of salted water for about 10 minutes.
8. Always keep stirring the pan of pasta, especially in the first stage as otherwise it will stick and be difficult to loosen.
9. When ready, remove the pasta from the pan with water, save some cooking liquid and put it in a frying pan. Add the pesto (keep a little left for presentation) and stir it into the pasta. Buon apetito!

Tip: add a dash of pasta water to prevent the pasta from becoming dry. This will also help the pesto mix better with the pasta.

Serving tip: use a large spoon to turn the pasta pesto in nicely with a large fork. Top with the last remaining pesto with some basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, black pepper and it’s ready!