The best pesto is on YouTube

You're welcome

YouTube is my television and I watch an unhealthy amount of it. I especially love the videos by Bon Appétit, which is how I discovered Salvo’s basil pesto.

The interview centres around a typical day in Salvatore La Rosa’s life and his sandwich business, Salvo’s (charmingly delivered around NYC by moped). While assembling one such sandwich he breaks down his pesto recipe to be used in that day’s sandwich. Well, the speed at which I ran to my notepad would, quite frankly, astound you. Within an hour that pesto was on my lunch (a large vat of pasta).

Here are the basic takeaways (plus recipe)

it really is just about adding the right ingredients to make magic

But don’t panic because

No. I can contest it just adds a nice salty flavour

Pecorino is god-tier cheese in my house. But if you don’t have pecorino you can use parmesan

Breadsticks give it a nice crunch, it’s true

And that’s it! You have yourself a nice pesto.

Basil Pesto

• Basil

• 1/2 garlic

• Couple springs mint

• 2 anchovies

• Black pepper

• Olive oil

• Breadsticks

• Pecorino

Credit: Bon Appétit

I love Salvo’s. Somewhat awkwardly I was supposed to be interviewing him for my next food zine. Things were going well, a nice email back and forth, until it suddenly stopped. I’m not sure what happened (I think he got too busy?) but I never heard from him again. In the words of Gwyneth Paltrow, I wish you well.