Get Saucy Flavour Of Summer

Few herbs shout summer like basil - and this recipe for pesto from EWEN MACDONALD will have you reaching for the window box.

- Ewen Macdonald

PESTO is an extremely versatile sauce and when you quickly master your own method for concocting it, you’ll discover it can be used in an infinite variety of ways; you’ll never have a boring supper dish when pesto is on the menu.

As with all great Italian dishes pesto is regional, traditionally being alla Genovese, or from the city of Genoa in the Liguria region of Italy, which is in itself famous for its olive oil (for Liguria turn left at the Côte d’Azur).

The Italians are undisputed masters of the kitchen. They rely on simple, quality ingredients for much of their cooking. Even so, their cuisine is every bit the equal in sophistication, delivery and taste as French, Chinese, Japanese, Indian or Mexican cuisines, which may use more complicated or exotic ingredients for cooking their classic dishes, but the results are no greater than those of Italian cuisine.