Certain brand names become eponymous with the products or foods they represent. Even in this new era of heightened awareness of regional cuisines, the word “pesto” has met a similar fate, becoming synonymous with a specific version: pesto alla genovese, a blend of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and grated cheese. But pesto isn’t defined by a single city’s tradition, and it’s not unique to northwestern Italy. It can be any pasta sauce made by mashing together ingredients in a mortar and pestle (or blending them in food processor) and is typically composed of herbs, nuts, cheese, and olive oil.

If there’s a pesto capital of Italy, it’s Sicily, where Trapani and the islands of Linosa and Pantelleria, not to mention the Aeolian chain, all have their own versions. The recipes that follow are for specific regional pestos, but you can get creative and invent your own with what you have in your pantry using this formula:

• 1 to 2 bunches herbs

• 1 cup nuts

• ½ cup grated aged cheese or 3 tablespoons salted capers

• 2 garlic cloves

• salt to taste

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Just be sure to add the olive oil after blending and to stir in the cheese at the very end. You can add other ingredients you fancy, too, like tomatoes, as they do in Trapani, Pantelleria, and Linosa. And you can even make your original recipe dairy-free by omitting the cheese, Linosa and Aeolian style!