Presto Pesto!

It doesn’t get any more simple than pesto. Basic 4 ingredients: basil, oil, pine nuts, garlic and blend. Pour over pasta and 'presto' worlds’ shortest recipe. But that’s the thing about the food in Italy. Most of it, especially in the summer, is all about simplicity. Take this pasta that Pier had in the Liguria region where pesto comes from. They are so proud and have so much faith in the flavor of their pesto, they have simply spread it on some lasagna noodles and that is the entire dish. When Pier ordered it I asked him where was the rest of it was, but that was it and he loved it! Italians eat completely different them Americans. They have an appetizer, a first plate, a second plate, and last dessert/aperitif/espresso. Appetizer could be olives, pecchetto crudo, focacce, or bruschette. Bruschette is mostly just toasted bread with tomatoes on top with basil. Simple right? 1st plate is always pasta. 2nd plate meat/fish. Dessert could be as simple as the little sweet mediterranean oranges, and that’s it. An entire 4 course meal with less than a handful of ingredients. How is that possible? I think it's the warm mediterranean sun that produces fresh and home grown (local so they don’t travel far and have to be picked to early) ingredients.