Basil is one of my favourite, if not my favourite herb. I just love it and hate when I don't have it growing at my back door. I didn't know all its associations - so interesting - or that it's indigenous to India. I try never to not have basil pesto in my fridge and mine, I make with nuts other than pine (they are too expensive). I do use olive oil and garlic and a local very mature artisan cheese.

Incidentally, one of the ways of stopping it from oxidising (going dark) is to make sure that the top is always covered with a layer of oil. It really does work and means that its shelf life in the fridge is considerably extended because moulds don't grow on oil.