Last week the BBC published an article announcing that pesto contains “more salt than a McDonald’s burger”, and today we are throwing the misunderstood sauce in our dinner to protest against that blatant filler story from a slow news day.

Pesto is not bad for you. Read those words. Shop bought pesto from a jar is not bad for you. Read again. As the article suggests, pesto could be bad for you if you ate it by the bucket-load, sure. But I don’t know anyone who does. Not even a grizzly glutton like myself.

It’s a shame that a media giant like the BBC has chosen to victimise a joyously cheap sauce that has been improving the meals of students and low income families for years and years. Spreading food fear within communities that simply can’t afford the “better quality” kind. Or the one with less salt. A small spoonful of the green stuff here and there certainly won’t do you any harm.

We’re here to support the jarred varieties, and those who rely on it. We’re here for you, dear pesto lovers, and we give you our pesto celebrating mac n cheese recipe.

Ingredients:

(Serves 8)

340g macaroni
180g red leicester cheese
200g cheddar cheese
40g parmesan cheese
1 and a half cups of whole milk
2 tbsp pesto (from a jar)
Half cup of double cream
Half cup of plain flour
1 tbsp butter

How to:

1. Boil the macaroni according to the instructions on the packet. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Melt the butter on a medium to low heat and stir in the flour to make a paste. Slowly add the milk and cream, whisking as you go until you are left with a creamy sauce. Add pesto and stir.
3. Remove from the heat and add the grated cheddar and red leicester (leave some for topping) to your sauce. Stir.
4. Drain the macaroni once cooked and mix with the cheese sauce.
5. Top with any remaining cheddar and red leicester and add the parmesan too.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.
7. Remove from the oven and serve.