I have been wanting to make pesto the old-fashioned way, with a mortar and pestle. Today was the day to try out the marble tools that I inherited from my mom.

Yesterday, before I went to the market, I looked up pesto on Wikipedia. This article was interesting to read, because it not only provided the traditional ingredients and modern variations, but it also gave some history as well. I already had walnuts, a variation from pine nuts, and some basil from my garden. I had fresh garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. All I needed to pick up at the store was some Parmesan cheese.

I didn’t really measure things out. This was an experiment, to find out what proportions I prefer. Here goes:

Walnut Pesto

Crush one small clove of garlic and a large handful of shelled walnuts in  a mortar, using a pestle. The traditional mortar is marble, and the traditional pestle is wooden, but both of my implements are marble.

Add several small or one large basil leaf, washed and dried.

Add about 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Incorporate all ingredients into a thick paste.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Store in an airtight container, covered with a layer of olive oil, up to one week. This can also be frozen.

Tomorrow, I will show you how I used my fresh pesto!