Pesto

A good way to spice up a pasta dish or sandwich is to add a little pesto. You don't need any fancy tools or that much time - just a couple of minutes, actually.

Ingredients

Basil
Olive oil
Pine nuts
Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano if you want to be really specific)
Garlic (1 or 2 cloves depending on how strong you want your pesto)

Nip a big bunch of basil leaves from the plant and chop them briefly, before adding them your kitchen mortar. Throw in a handful of pine nuts, olive oil and grind some cheese on top. Finely chop your garlic and add as well. Mix all the ingredients together with your pestle until you have lovely, smooth paste. Voila!