After tomato – pesto is the most popular sauce for pasta. Its name derives from the Italian verb to crush, "pestare". And the Italians take it very seriously! Traditionally the ingredients should be crushed with a mortar and pestle but these days most busy cooks use a blender to knock up a pesto sauce in time for dinner.
In response, the first Pesto World Championship has just been held to revive the tradition of mortar-made pesto. Lara Corner travels to Genoa in northern Italy to discover the secret of making the perfect sauce.
