Whiz the basil with the olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor or pound using a pestle and mortar. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the finely shredded Parmesan cheese. Taste and season.

Serve with pasta, goat cheese, tomato, and mozzarella. Pesto is great in salads or sprinkled over omelets or frittata. It keeps for weeks, covered with a layer of olive oil in a jar in the refrigerator, and also freezes well, but for best results don’t add the shredded Parmesan until it has defrosted. Freeze in small batches for convenience. Basil leaves also freeze very well; they won’t be great for pesto but can be used in soups and vegetable stews to add a summer zing.