Wild Garlic Pesto Pasta (Printer-Friendly)
Fresh wild garlic pesto tossed with al dente pasta, pine nuts, and Parmesan for a quick springtime meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried spaghetti or linguine
02 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for pasta water
→ Wild Garlic Pesto
03 - 3 oz wild garlic leaves, washed and patted dry
04 - 1 oz pine nuts (or walnuts for variation)
05 - 1.75 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 small garlic clove, peeled (optional)
08 - Juice of ½ lemon
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
10 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
11 - A few 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 ½ cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta through a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine the wild garlic leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic clove (if using), lemon juice, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until a smooth, vibrant green paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
03 - Return the drained pasta to the pot. Immediately spoon the wild garlic pesto over the hot pasta and toss vigorously to coat every strand evenly. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the pesto into a silky, clinging sauce.
04 - Divide the pasta among warmed serving bowls. Finish with an extra shower of grated Parmesan and a scattering of wild garlic leaves or edible flowers if desired. Serve without delay while the pasta is hot and the flavors are at their peak.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The pesto comes together in about five minutes with a blender and zero cooking.
- It captures the entire season in a single plate, bright, grassy, and faintly electric.
02 -
- Wild garlic pesto loses its neon green color quickly once exposed to air, so serve it immediately or press plastic wrap directly onto the surface if storing.
- The starchy pasta water is not optional here, it is the magic ingredient that turns a thick paste into a sauce that actually clings.
03 -
- Toast your nuts in a dry pan just until fragrant, about two minutes, and watch them like a hawk because they cross from golden to bitter in seconds.
- If the pesto tastes flat, a tiny pinch more lemon juice or salt will usually wake it up better than adding more oil.