Burrata: If you can’t find burrata, mozzarella would also work. If you want to make it a bit more like burrata, I like to make a ‘cheat’s burrata’ using one of these hacks: - Tear 250g mozzarella into small pieces in a medium bowl, pour over 100ml double cream and add ¼ tsp salt. Stir well to combine, then cover and chill for a couple of hours – or until ready to serve. - Tear 250g mozzarella into small pieces in a medium bowl, add 200g crème fraîche and a generous pinch of salt. Stir well to combine, then cover and chill for a couple of hours – or until ready to serve. - Add mascarpone to a bowl and add a generous splash of double cream. Add salt and pepper and mix together, then you can dollop this on top. This is less burrata and more just a good creamy topping.

How to toast pine nuts: I like to toast pine nuts in a pan, as this means I can keep a closer eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Toast over medium-high heat and keep the pan moving to make sure they are evenly golden. You can toast in the oven but they turn quickly from golden to black and burnt pine nuts are not very good as you can imagine!

How to store basil: any leftover basil should be stored in the following way to keep it alive and strong for a good week. Slice the ends off the basil stalks and place in a small glass or mug in around 1cm of water. Take a clean sandwich bag and cover the basil with it, pulling the bag down the glass. Then seal the sandwich bag around the glass/mug. Leave at room temp.

Shop bought: Swap out the fresh pesto for a jar or tub of shop-bought pesto. It’s still delicious!

If you want to double the recipe: double everything but the pesto should be enough for 4 already.

What to do with leftovers: Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days. I find the best way to reheat is in a pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and stir often until it’s hot and melted again. The butter helps the sauce keep its nice creamy texture. Otherwise, the microwave works too for 1-2 minutes until piping hot. Leftover pesto keeps well in the fridge for around a week or two. Store in the fridge in an airtight container or jar. If you want to keep it longer, I would advise adding it to a jar and levelling it out so it’s nice and flat. Then add some olive oil over the top to create a layer that essentially seals the pesto. This will stop it going bad as fast. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge but once mixed into hot pasta (for example) or brought to room temperature, it’ll melt. It can be used in so many ways - on pasta, in sandwiches, drizzled over soups, loosened with lemon juice to make a salad dressing.