Pesto alla Genovese Crostini

When I went to Genova a couple of years back, I was, in truth, a little ignorant. I had carried out unforgivably little research on the place. The only thing I knew for certain was that Genova was home to the classic pesto.

I remember this small, unassuming, run-down trattoria opposite the hotel. Tables were poised (near-enough) in the path of oncoming traffic, an absence of light led to considerable difficulty in reading the menu, and it scored (discovering only afterwards) deplorably low on TripAdvisor.

Yet, their simple trofie al pesto genovese was a thing of beauty; so simple, yet with such strength and intensity of flavour.

A jar of shop-bought pesto back in London with its plethora of ingredients, can never come close to the concentration and vibrancy of a fresh and frugal home-made creation.

🌿 Makes 4 crostini (but you'll have plenty left over for a tasty & easy mid-week pasta treat!)

Note: The addition of spinach might sound a little unauthentic and a bit of a 'bulk-me-up', but hear me out. Spinach is a wondrous source of iron and the richness of colour does wonders aesthetically. Yes, admittedly the'bulk-me-up' is an attractive feature, but it is completely wholesome, and I can't see any disadvantages.

Note: I substituted pine nuts for walnuts. Why? Solely because of cost. Pine nuts come in at an eye-sore of a price, and walnuts prove a very effective, money-saving substitute.

• 2 handfuls of spinach

• 3 handfuls of basil leaves

• 50g parmesan or pecorino (grated)

• 3 large garlic cloves

• 75g de-shelled walnuts

• a generous grinding of salt

• a generous grinding (but a bit less so) of black pepper

• a squeeze of half a lemon

• 150ml extra-virgin olive oil

1. Traditional - give it some tender loving care, and crush away in your pestle & mortar.

2. Modern - whizz it up in your blender in no time (beware you don't leave the blender whirring away for too long - it will turn your pesto into a silky, smooth cream. Perfect if that's what you're after, but not so much if you'd prefer a traditional, more coarse texture).