Wild Garlic Pesto Pasta (Printable)
Fresh spring pasta with vibrant wild garlic pesto, pine nuts and Parmesan. Ready in 25 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wild Garlic Pesto
01 - 2.6 oz wild garlic leaves, rinsed and patted dry
02 - 1.8 oz toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
03 - 1.8 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 garlic clove
05 - 3.4 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
06 - Juice of ½ lemon
07 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Pasta
08 - 14.1 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or penne)
09 - Salt, for pasta water
→ Optional Garnish
10 - Extra grated Parmesan
11 - Freshly cracked black pepper
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water before draining through a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine the wild garlic leaves, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, and garlic clove in a food processor. Pulse several times until the ingredients are roughly chopped and combined.
03 - With the food processor running continuously, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil until a smooth, vibrant green paste forms. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - Transfer the drained pasta back to the pot or a large serving bowl. Add the wild garlic pesto and toss thoroughly, incorporating splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, even coating.
05 - Divide among serving plates immediately. Finish with extra grated Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It takes under thirty minutes from cupboard to plate, which is faster than delivery and infinitely more rewarding.
- The pesto doubles as a spread for toast, a swirl into soup, or a marinade for roasted vegetables, so you will never run out of uses.
02 -
- Add the lemon juice at the very end of blending because adding it too early can dull the bright green color into something murky.
- If the pesto seems too thick to coat the pasta, the starchy pasta water is the only fix you need, never more oil.
03 -
- Blanch the wild garlic leaves for ten seconds in boiling water then shock them in ice water to lock in that electric green color if presentation matters to you.
- Never heat the pesto directly in the pan because the delicate garlic flavor cooks off almost instantly and you lose everything that makes it special.