I always have at a couple of clay pots filled with basil on my porch, and love spinning a few handfuls of the freshly picked herb into pesto—a dish that is so simple to make and so satisfying. I also love when my CSA does some of the work for me, or fills in for me when my crop thins out.

Diane Seed, author of The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces, writes in her beautiful book about the importance of basil in Italian cooking. The herb originated in Genoa, the birthplace of pesto. where, in those early days before electronics, it was pounded by hand into a sauce with a mortar and pestle—hence its name, pesto.

It’s a snap to make today, so easy that I generally double the recipe and freeze the extra for another meal or two.

Ingredients

2 cups basil leaves, washed and patted dry

1 small garlic clove

1/4 cup nuts, walnut, pecan or pine

1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/3 cup good olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

Directions

Combine the basil, garlic, nuts and cheese in a blender or food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Pulse 5 or 6 times to coarsely chop the mixture. Then, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until pureed.

To serve, cook your favorite pasta (I use De Cecco spaghetti for this dish) according to packet directions and drain, reserving a cup of cooking water. Divide the pasta among plates, sprinkle with additional cheese, add a spoonful of pesto and enough hot water to make a sauce, about a tablespoon. Toss and add another spoonful of pesto. Pass the cheese and enjoy! Makes approximately 6 servings.