The name pesto comes from the same Latin root of "pestle," which is fitting as the sauce, in its simplest form, is made by crushing a few key ingredients together. There are two forms of pesto sauce, pesto alla genovese and pesto alla siciliana. The forms of the sauce are from Genoa and Sicily, respectively.

Pesto alla genoese is made with garlic, salt, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Sardo cheese, and Genoese basil. (It is important to note that Genoese basil is just one member of the large basil family.) The recipe for pesto alla siciliana is similar, but with tomatoes and less basil. It is widely accepted that the Genoese recipe for pesto, was the original recipe.

Pesto sauces, made with numerous different ingredients, have been part of Italian cuisines since Roman times. In addition to the two basic pesto recipes, others include red bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, walnuts, parmesan cheese, and ricotta cheese. In fact, some pesto sauces are made with arugula instead of basil.

Pesto is a very versatile sauce and can be used as a bruschetta topping, on pasta, on cooked meats, and even in soups. A lovely way to explore pesto sauces is to buy a few different kinds, and make a platter of pesto bruschetta using each sauce.

In general, basil is a hearty plant. If you happen to live in a climate that favors basil plants, you may quickly find yourself with a garden full of the aromatic herb. Most basil plants grow year after year and will increase in size if they are planted in nourishing soil. While the herb is delicious to eat fresh from the bush in salads or as a pasta topping, it can also be preserved in the form of a pesto sauce.

Here is a very simple pesto sauce that can be used no matter how much fresh basil you have on hand:

• 4 parts fresh basil leaves
• 1 part Pecorino Sardo cheese
• 2 parts olive oil
• 1 part pine nuts
• 1 part minced fresh garlic

You can either mix the ingredients in a food processor or simply crush them together with a mortar and pestle. Make sure, in order to preserve the sauce for as long as possible, to add a layer of olive oil on top of the sauce once it has been placed in a jar. Pesto can keep in then refrigerator this way for over a week and can be kept in the freezer for up to three months.