Ok so I'm not a true pesto virgin because to tell the truth, I have "done it" many years ago back in Canada and I remember it being a royal failure. This time, we used basil and garlic from our garden and homemade olive oil from Abruzzo...mixed with the air of Italy, I think that's what made all the difference. It turned out wonderfully and we were able to enjoy a dish of linguine al pesto last night for dinner (forgot to take a photo before devouring it). Pesto is one of those things that completely captures Italy- just simple, fresh ingredients and alot of love and you get something amazing out of it.
The recipe we used is found here: http://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Pesto-alla-Genovese.html
My only piece of advice is to really use a small, small pinch of salt because even though I used a pizzico, the saltiness of the cheese is quite pronounced and if you go overboard on the salt, your pesto will be unbearably salty. Something to keep in mind is that is it going to make your arm very sore, so make sure you go into it strong-willed and with a good energy reserve!
The recipe we used is found here: http://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Pesto-alla-Genovese.html
My only piece of advice is to really use a small, small pinch of salt because even though I used a pizzico, the saltiness of the cheese is quite pronounced and if you go overboard on the salt, your pesto will be unbearably salty. Something to keep in mind is that is it going to make your arm very sore, so make sure you go into it strong-willed and with a good energy reserve!