Rocket and basil pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup rocket, roughly chopped
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, squashed and chopped up
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Place all ingredients into a food processor or a blender. Process on high speed until it forms a wet, loose texture. If it is dry and clumpy, add a little more olive oil and process again. Taste and add a little more salt if needed.

About this recipe

This punchy pesto is a great alternative to salad if you find yourself with some rocket in need of eating. Even if you don’t have rocket to hand, I reckon it’s worth getting some if you fancy making pesto. This is not a strictly authentic pesto recipe given the rocket and almonds, but I promise it’s worth a shot anyway. Pairing rocket with the basil gives it a satisfying peppery kick, and the toasted, chopped almonds give enjoyable hits of nuttiness in between unctuous herby mouthfuls.

Pesto enjoyed a significant surge in popularity in American and British diets in the 1980s and 90s, and rightly so, because it is delicious. It dates back to at least the Middle Ages, and potentially has an earlier relative ‘moretum’ from ancient Roman times. The original basil pesto hails from Genoa and its story is in fact a truly international one. Basil found its way to Italy from Asia through ancient spice routes. Sailors leaving from the port of Genoa took pesto with them on their journeys to promote good health, and I like to think it found favour in many foreign ports.

This pesto is good for the traditional slathering-on-pasta as a sauce and for pepping up a sandwich, but I think it’s particularly good as a dip, scooped up with crackers and crudités. I hope you like it x