Puglia is known as the vegetable garden of Italy and on our organic land at Terre Di San Vito, vegetables of all kinds grow in abundance. From our ancestors, we have inherited the art of preserving vegetables, and enhancing their flavours with our incredible Apulian extra virgin olive oil.

When we talk about pesto, we immediately think of pesto alla Genovese (basil pesto). But the concept of pesto, in a broad sense, simply refers to a set of ingredients that have been crushed, presumably in a mortar, with the help of a pestle and is a recipe handed down since Roman times.

Having said that, it is clear that there is not only one type of pesto. By using your imagination, you can prepare different types of pesto depending on the season and what your taste buds are calling out for. Puglia has an encyclopaedia of recipes with herbs while maintaining the Italian gastronomic tradition of using the 6 key ingredients for pesto.

In Puglia and on the organic land of Terre Di San Vito farm, ingredients are not lacking. Apulian dried tomatoes, Apulian vegetables, our incredible Apulian almonds, and then of course we have our artichokes and olives – all "pestable" and finely workable ingredients for delicious, seasonal pestos.

This week on the farm, we are harvesting our wonderfully organic parsley. If you have some parsley in your garden or in a pot on your window ledge, use it to make this famous sauce which has more uses than you may think! (see serving tips below)

100g fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves

60g grated parmigiana reggiano or pecorino (or a mix of both)

50g pine nuts (or almonds or walnuts)

120ml Terre Di San Vito extra virgin olive oil

Salt

 

There are three possible methods for preparing this dish: Chopping by hand, using a pestle and mortar or using a blender – feel free to use the one that best suits you!

Put the garlic into a mortar and pound with the pestle until smooth.

Add the pine nuts and pound until they are roughly crushed.

Add the parsley and continue to pound and mash, bruising the leaves, until it starts to form a paste.

Turn the mixture into a bowl and stir through the grated Parmesan/Pecorino.

Slowly pour in some of the oil and mix to a thick paste.

Continue adding the extra virgin olive oil until mixture has loosened to a more juicy paste.

Taste the mixture and add seasoning if you feel it is required.

Do not add salt until you have finished mixing the paste as the parmesan and pecorino is salty.

 

Put the garlic into the blender and pulse.

Add the pine nuts and pulse again until roughly chopped (be careful not to over-process).

Add the parsley and pulse carefully until it is well mixed but still very textured.

Turn into a bowl and stir in the Parmesan or Pecorino.

Pour in the extra virgin olive oil, mixing to a juicy paste.

Season to taste.

 

On a chopping board, chop the parsley, pine nuts and garlic with a sharp knife or mezzaluna.

When chopped to a fine consistency, transfer to a mixing bowl.

Gently pour in the olive oil and mix to combine.

Add the Parmesan or pecorino.

 

This is an incredibly versatile dish. Try using your freshly made pesto in any of these ways – or please, email us with any dishes you have made with this recipe.

Mix with your favourite pasta

Mix with pasta, a tin of tuna and fresh tomatoes for a great salad

Spoon over any white, filleted fish. Place in the oven – delicious!

Use as a dip with crostini

Spoon over roasted veg

Smear into a ciabatta and place in the oven for an alternative to garlic bread

In a toasted mozzarella, pesto and tomato sandwhich

Stuff chicken breast with any flavour pesto and bake

As a topping on your favourite pizza

Add a spoonful into a veg soup – gives it a great lift!

Delicious spooned over a poached egg

You can substitute the parsley for: basil, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, olives or most fresh green herbs.

The pine nuts can be changed to almonds or walnuts.

Add the salt at the end as the parmesan and pecorino are salty cheeses

Increase the quantities and store in an airtight jar (ensure the mixture is covered with olive oil to help preserve it)

Serve our Pesto di prezzemolo Pugliese with a bottle of our fabulous Terre Di San Vito Mosi rose wine.