Got pasta?
Make pesto.
If you’ve got five minutes, a pestle and mortar in need of a little love, and a basil plant that’s taking over the kitchen window, then pesto’s your answer.
There’s no better, or quicker meal, than some fresh pasta, smothered in even fresher pesto. With that, let’s dive in to the video, of how to make your own taste of the Mediterranean; Green Pesto.
Read on for the full recipe and ingredients.
Serves 1 large (or 2 small) portions of pasta so feel free to scale up!
it’s basically [ 1 : 2 : 10 ], [ garlic : everything else : oil ] (with salt to taste).
To make the Pesto
Crush the garlic in the mortar along with the salt to form a paste
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
Add basil leaves to the mortar, grinding until broken and fibrous, with green liquid released.
- 15g bunch of Basil leaves
Crush pin nuts into the basil paste, pounding them with the pestle before grinding them in.
- 15g of Pine Nuts (or breadcrumbs if feeling cheap/adventurous)
Work in grated cheeses until paste is thick with no large lumps.
- 15g of Grana Padano
- 15g of Parmigiano Reggiano
Pour in the oil, incorporating it until the desired pesto consistency is achieved.
At this point, it’s easier to fold the oil in with a spoon rather than continuing with the pestle, in case you were wondering.
- 75ml Olive Oil
Storage
Store the pesto in the fridge, adding a splash of oil to protect it from exposure to air.
Any container will do if using within a few days but for longer storage of a few weeks, you can use a clean jar to seal it as best as you can.
And there you have it! Let the pesto sit for a few hours to mellow out but after this, you can enjoy it whenever, however you want!
More Stuff
If you can’t get enough of the Italian pasta vibes, have a look at our Homemade Fresh Pasta, or for another Italian treat (done right), have a go at our Carbonara recipe, to really make the most of that pasta!
