Instructions: You could put all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and after a few seconds it is all over. However the taste of real pesto is obtained using a pestle and mortar.

Put the dry basil leaves in a mortar with the salt and pine nuts and garlic. Rotate the pestle to grind all the ingredients using the salt at the bottom of the mortar to help break them down. Work like this for a while until you see a pulp starting to form. Still working with the pestle add the cheese a little at the time and pound until it has all been absorbed and a thick paste has formed. Now start to pour in the oil a little at a time and work with the pestle until it has all been absorbed.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain keeping 2 or 3 tbsp of the cooking water. Put the pesto in a pan, dilute with the reserved cooking water and just warm through. Mix with the pasta and serve.

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