This work by Borgh now hangs in our stairwell until it goes to another Italy enthusiast. The colorful, almost cubist work of Willem Borgh is a daily reminder for us of beautiful trips through Italy and the delicious food in and around Genoa and the Cinque tere.

Liguria smells of fresh basil, olives, wild boar, fresh fish, salami, wine and wild herbs. Many holidaymakers come to Italy precisely for the Italian cuisine. Typical dishes are foccacia and farinatas. One made from the best flour, the second from chickpea flour. Both seasoned with coarse sea salt and, for example, rosemary. Another herb that is often used is basil. It is almost a monthly meal for us:

fresh pasta with pesto.

Ingredients for the tastiest Pasta Pesto

100 grams of flour
Little Water
1 egg
50 grams of Basil
15 grams of pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
Sea salt
75 grams Pecorino (or Parmesan)
The pasta

Mix the flour with the egg and a little water and knead for 10 minutes and place in the refrigerator for half an hour. Knead again for 5 minutes and set aside for 15 minutes. Make small balls and run them through the pasta machine. First you make flat sheets at setting 3, then flatten them at, for example, 6 and then run them through the pasta machine with a cutting attachment that fits the pasta you want. For pasta pesto, think of Spaghettoni, for example; a thicker form of spaghetti.

For the sauce
First, mash the garlic cloves. Add sea salt little by little to taste. Then add the basil leaves and, if necessary, a little more sea salt. When the basil leaves have been completely mashed, add the pine nuts and mash them finely as well. Then you can add the grated pecorino and a dash of olive oil. When everything has been mashed, finally add the grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining olive oil. Mash everything finely and stir the pesto well again. Serve with basil leaves and, for example, tomato and fried chicken in basil oil as in the dish below.