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40 minutes

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1 hour 15 minutes

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2 minutes

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40 minutes

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20 minutes

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25 minutes

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10-minute tomato sauce

10 minutes

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Foolproof gravy

15 minutes

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Fennel gravy

10 minutes

The best basil pesto

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The best basil pesto

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The best basil pesto

By Hannah Lewry

Serves Makes 1 cup

Difficulty Easy

Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

80 g pine nuts
120 g Parmesan, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
3 bunches basil leaves
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 t sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Toast the pine nuts on a baking tray, tossing once halfway through, until golden brown, about 5–7 minutes.
Transfer to a food processor and allow to cool. Add the cheese and garlic and pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the basil and place the top back on. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow and steady stream until the pesto is almost smooth, with just a few flecks of green, about 1 minute. Season with salt.

Cook’s note: The key here is adding the basil right at the end so that it doesn’t lose its flavour or colour.

If you want to serve this with pasta, use long pasta such as spaghetti or linguine; the pesto sticks to the longer strands. Place the pesto and 2 T butter in a bowl, then add the cooked pasta and ¼ cup cooking water. Toss, using tongs, until the pasta is coated in the pesto. Add more water if necessary and season with salt.