There are five ingredients in basil pesto and an optional sixth. Essential to the recipe are basil, garlic, pine nuts (or a nut substitute), olive oil and Parmesan. A possible sixth ingredient, and you can make an educated decision as to whether or not to include it, is lemon juice. You can add a little salt, and possibly pepper, though I don’t add the latter.

The texture and flavour of a good basil pesto do not need lemon juice. It is only added to hold the green colour, not for the little zing that this citrus usually gives to a dish. It really does not need it to play that role. In fact, I think pesto tastes better without lemon juice.

But what about that bright green that you want? Oxygen lends it a brownish hue, so the key is to make basil pesto and serve it fresh, right away. If you want to jar it up and keep it in the fridge for a few days, though, you’d be best served by adding that hint of lemon juice. Fill the jar right to the top, almost overflowing (so that there’s a meniscus at the brim), then screw the lid on tightly.

So, my recipe here does not include any lemon juice, because it is intended to be prepared and served immediately, after being tossed through pasta.

Now, let’s talk about quantities and ratios. The best way to approach this, I hold, is to go by taste. Take this scenario for instance: the reason I decided to make basil pesto is that I’d bought way too much basil for a dinner we had last weekend (a dining room full of 18 paying guests), so the quantity of basil was precisely what was left over: six of the standard plastic tubs you usually buy basil in.

Nobody in their right mind is going to weigh basil or count the leaves. Just pick the leaves off the stems, discard the rest, and however much basil that is, that’s what goes into the blender. And a blender, of course, is essential for pesto.

Going by my eye, I chose three very fat cloves of garlic and chopped them finely. In the fridge I had about 80 g of almond flakes, and I don’t know about you but I cannot afford pine nuts right now, so they would go in too. I had some Grana Padano, so that would trounce the Parmigiano Reggiano which is headed for a dish in another recipe this weekend. Recipes are influenced by priorities.

First into the blender were the almond flakes, then the basil leaves, then the garlic, and finally the olive oil, just adding and blending, adding and blending, until I felt the consistency and balance were right. You have to dip a finger in and taste as you go (no, not while the blender is running). The Parmesan is only stirred in afterwards.

(Quantities vary according to your needs)

Ingredients

Nuts (pine nuts if you choose, or cashews, or almonds)

Fresh basil leaves, no stems

Fresh garlic, finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Finely grated Parmesan, again depending on your budget

Salt to taste, lightly

Method

Don’t forget to get some pasta cooking in that big pot on the stove, in lightly salted water. Have a colander ready for draining it in the sink. Have pasta bowls and implements ready.

You need to decide on the quantities of the garlic, nuts, olive oil and Parmesan you need using your common sense, your palate, and quite frankly your personal taste. And that starts with the basil: add the rest, in ratios that make sense.

Blitz the nuts in the blender first until fine. They provide a lovely crunch to a good pesto. Add the basil leaves and the chopped garlic on top of that.

Drizzle in some olive oil, quite generously, and start blending and pulsing. Add salt (don’t get carried away) and more olive oil and blend until you’re happy that it’s as you like it, adding olive oil when you feel it needs more. Like a painting, trust yourself to know when to stop; that’s most likely when it is just right. Instinct plays a part in cooking too, and this is one of the best examples of when to trust your instincts. 

Finally, stir in the grated Parmesan.

The pasta should have been on a while ago, cooked till perfectly al dente.

Drain the pasta (any type you like, I had shells so that’s what I used), add it back to the hot pot, toss the pesto through it, and serve. A sprig of basil on top looks nice. DM

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer 2023, jointly with TGIFood columnist Anna Trapido. Order his book, foodSTUFF, here

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on wares by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.