Wild Garlic Pesto Pasta (Printable Version)
Fresh pasta tossed with aromatic wild garlic pesto, pine nuts and Parmesan for a vibrant spring meal.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried spaghetti or linguine
02 - 1 tbsp kosher salt, for pasta water
→ Wild Garlic Pesto
03 - 2.8 oz wild garlic leaves, washed and patted dry
04 - 1 oz pine nuts (or walnuts for variation)
05 - 1.75 oz grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 small garlic clove (optional)
08 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
10 - Extra grated Parmesan
11 - Wild garlic leaves or edible flowers (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain well.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine the wild garlic leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic clove (if using), lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until a smooth, vibrant paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
03 - Return the drained pasta to the pot and immediately add the wild garlic pesto. Toss vigorously, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water until a silky, even sauce coats every strand.
04 - Divide among warm plates or bowls. Finish with extra grated Parmesan and a few wild garlic leaves or edible flowers if desired. Serve right away.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The pesto comes together in about three minutes flat while your pasta water boils, making this one of the fastest real meals you can make from scratch.
- Wild garlic has a mellow, almost sweet allium flavor that makes regular basil pesto feel like it is trying too hard.
- It turns the most ridiculous shade of green, the kind of color that makes people think you spent hours when you barely lifted a finger.
02 -
- Wild garlic appears for only a few weeks in spring and wilts quickly, so use it the same day you pick or buy it for the brightest flavor.
- If you are making pesto ahead, press a piece of cling film directly onto the surface to keep the air out and slow the browning.
03 -
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for two minutes before blending, the warmth brings out a nuttiness that transforms the whole pesto.
- That starchy pasta water is the secret to turning thick pesto into a sauce that actually coats the pasta, so never skip reserving it.