Monday 4 February 2013

Classic Pesto

Italian is my favourite type of food hands down. It's quick and simple so there's really no excuse for not having a go.

 I must admit I am an absolute slave to the jars of Salca pesto, we lived off them at uni but you can make this as the pasta boils and its perfect to add a little sparkle to your Monday evening. If you're expecting to recreate what comes out of a jar forget it, home-made pesto is fresher, lighter and almost a completely different taste - they can't really be compared.

What you will need:

  • 50g fresh basil leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 25g pine nuts, toasted
  • 90ml olive oil
  • 2 tbsp parmesan, grated 
  • Salt and pepper
(Serves 4)

Now I will warn you before you start, 50g of basil doesn't sound like a lot, but its absolutely loads. This is how much I used for one portion (15g):


Don't buy a living basil plant just for the purposes of this recipe, you'll just end up using it all and then some. They are also notoriously difficult to keep alive so unless you're Alan Titchmarsh don't bother. I would suggest buying a couple of the packets of cut basil (here) because you actually get a lot more for your money.


Get all your ingredients together and get your pasta going. Put the basil, oil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and give it a good whizz. My weapon of choice for dressings and sauces like this is a Baumix, available from Amazon

When it has become a paste, season with salt and pepper then add the cheese and mix by hand. Drain your pasta and, if you find your pesto is a little thick, reserve some of the pasta water to add to it. Transfer to bowls and serve with parmesan shavings and a sprig of basil on top. 


Enjoy!

3 comments:

  1. This looks so yummy! Will definitely be trying this next time I'm having pasta! :) xxx

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  2. I also prepared a pasta salad today:) This one look nice, but I'll have to make some adjustments, because I'm limited in what I can ear due to health reasons.
    Thanks for sharing, it does look delicious:)

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  3. I've never tried pesto befora but I'm really tempted to try this recipe! Looks delicious (: xx

    talkingpickles.blogspot.com

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