Genoese basil pesto (Pesto alla genovese)

1. Pick the basil leaves off the stalks, wash them gently in cold water and pat them completely dry on a tea towel without rubbing.

2. Pound the garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar to a paste, then add the pine nuts and crush them to a cream too.

3. Add the basil leaves a few at a time and grind them with the pestle using a circular motion (not pounding) until you have a thick green cream.

4. Stir in the finely grated parmesan and pecorino.

5. Finally trickle in the extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream and stir smooth with a spoon.

6. Use it on pasta (trofie, trenette), loosened with a spoonful or two of the cooking water but never heated; in a jar, covered with olive oil, it keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Tip: You can also use a stick blender: work in short pulses and chill the beaker in the freezer beforehand, as heat turns the basil brown and bitter; never cook pesto.