If you love pesto and Italian food you have probably more than once bought a jar of ready made Pesto. I have, but it will probably never happen again. Why? Because there is no need to. What about tasting the real pesto and let the original flavors enlighten your meal instead? There is nothing better than eating something that is not ready made but made from scratch. We all know that.

But you haven´t got any basil you say. You might live in a flat and think that there is no room to grow your own basil. Well you see those bundles of basil that you buy in the supermarket? Let me tell you a little secret; you can get that for free.

I have never seen a herb grow as much as basil. I planted one pot and now I have eleven. And that is without planting anything after that. They grow everywhere! And if you happen to have an Aloe Vera plant then they becomes buddies for life. The accidentally planted basil that grows with my Aloe Vera is the most beautiful of them all. And it is still in a quite small pot.

Did I give them fertilizer? No. Did I forget to water them? Yes. Are they still growing? Oh yes!

But what do you do with all that basil? I use it in everything, from meat dishes to desserts. And of course I take advantage of the basil and make my own pesto. Now let me tell you that I live in Brazil, and in my town it´s very difficult to find pine nuts. But I am not letting that stop me, I use whatever other nuts I can find. It can be peanuts or cashew nuts, it still tastes great.

And the oil? If you haven´t got any olive oil it is highly recommended you buy some. Olive oil has a flavor like no other oil and it only makes your pesto taste better. Extra virgin is a good choice.

You need cheese as well. You cannot get that cheesy unforgettable taste if you do not use a good cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano is of course the best cheese for this adventure in the kitchen. Did you notice that salty sensation on your tongue? If you think your cheese is not salty enough you can add a tiny pinch of salt to your pesto.

Parmigiano Reggiano might not be available where you live so then you have to substitute it for a similar cheese like Parmesan, if you can not find Parmesan cheese then go for the strongest cheese you can find. If you only find softer cheese that is not well matured then maybe you should save your basil for another day. Please note that Parmesan and Parmigiano Reggiano is not the same thing. Parmesan is a cheese that is similar to the cheese produced in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the Parmigiano Reggiano. It is only the Parmigiano Reggiano that is a true Parmesan cheese, the other Parmesan cheeses are called generic cheeses .

After this you are almost ready. Another thing you need, if you want to, is garlic. I prefer to add one or two cloves to my pesto. Black pepper is something that I love and add to everything I cook. But then again, it´s all up to you and your taste buds.

Time to make your pesto:

Basil

Cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano

Olive oil

Pine nuts or nuts of your choice

Garlic

( salt and black pepper)

Put the basil and the garlic in a blender, chop for a second or two, add cheese and pine nuts, chop again, and then finally add the oil a little at a time.

You decide if you want your basil smooth and creamy or chunky.

Serve with hot pasta or use as a spread on salty biscuits if you are having a dinner party for example. You can also marinate your pasta salad with it for a great tasting salad. Just add tomatoes, black olives etc.

As you can tell it is really easy. And even if you fake your way to your own pesto you dinner guests won´t even notice that they are not served ¨true¨ pesto. And you can feel good about yourself and your food. If you still have pesto left after enjoying your meal then you can store it in a plastic container with the lid on for one week. That never happens to me though, once I make it, it´s gone in a few days. Buon appetito.

Fake your way to: This is where I show you how you easily substitute your ingredients for something else.