Rustic Pesto - Rough Chop

This is the simplest most delicious pesto recipe, no tools/equipment but a knife, bowl, board, fork required. Like all things, the quality fo the finished product is only as good as it's parts(good parm, evoo, garlic, basil are a MUST!).

Ingredients:

1 Bunch - Basil (Leaves only - separated from the stem)

1/4# Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 

3 bulbs - Hard Neck Garlic (Peeled)

1/4 Cup - EVOO

Coarse Salt or Maldon

1/2 Cup - Roasted Nuts (Marcona Almonds, Pine Nuts, Etc)

Recipe:

Start by laying your basil out on your cutting board, we are going to use it as a base on which we crush/chop/mince everything else, releasing the aromatics and starting the infusion.  On top of your basil crush your garlic cloves with the back of a knife, we want them pretty flat, once they are, give them a fine chop.  Fold the whole mixture together using your knife get everything into one tight layer.  Spread your nuts out on this layer and use the back of your knife again to crush/get them to stick to the mix, then go through and do a horizontal and vertical chop.  Next, we are ready for the cheese, for the cheese cut a nice size block off or your wedge of Parmigiano, with a knife slice this chunk into slivers as thin as you can.  Scrape this and the basil/garlic/nut mixture into a bowl and mix vigorously with your fork, the Parmigiano should begin to break up into smaller pieces, if it doesn't use the fork to press down on the mixture in the bowl and scrape it across the whole thing to mix/break everything up.  Finally, ad half of your oil and start mixing with the fork,  season this to taste with the salt and depending on the texture you want for the finished product, either add more oil or leave it be!  It will get better over the next few hours, but will also be delicious right now.  Enjoy!