Well, that’s not quite what Sophia Loren sang in the 1958 movie Houseboat, but it’s close, and it’s what I was humming last night, as I whipped-up one of my favorite pasta sauces.

Pesto is a simple sauce that, when made traditionally (with basil), is light, flavorful and aromatic. Admittedly, I am not from Genoa, so I’m not a purist, and I make my sauce with both basil and parsley. Both ways are delicious, so experiment, and see what you like.

Serve the sauce over fettuccine or tonnarelli, and try to avoid cuts like angel hair. The sauce will pool under the delicate pasta rather than coating each strand.

Here’s my recipe for Pesto. It will yield four servings.

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup basil, packed
1 cup Italian parsley, packed
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup parmigiano cheese, grated
1/3 cup pecorino cheese, grated
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS

• Place the garlic, basil, parsley, salt, oil, cheese and nuts in a food processor or blender fitted with a metal blade

• Blend to a puree and be sure not to over-grind. It’s important that pesto has a coarse texture. If the texture is still too rough, just add a touch more olive oil to blend

• Transfer to a sauce pot

• Simmer sauce on a low flame until hot, stirring occasionally.

• Serve immediately over pasta