Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta has a reputation for being a teenager's dinner. Done well, it is not — it is one of the best uses of a bunch of basil and a wedge of Parmesan you can do in twenty minutes.

The secret to a pesto that clings, rather than slides off, is finishing the pasta in the pan with a generous splash of cooking water. Same trick as a tomato sauce, different colour.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil.
2. Blitz the basil, garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until you have a loose, bright green sauce. Stir in the Parmesan, taste, and add lemon if you like a brighter finish.
3. Cook the pasta one minute short of the package instructions. Reserve a cup of cooking water before draining.
4. Return the drained pasta to the pot off the heat. Stir in the pesto and a few tablespoons of pasta water until every strand is glossy. Add more water as needed.
5. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and torn basil.

Cooking tips

• Never heat pesto directly. Tossing it with hot pasta off the heat is enough — direct heat dulls the basil and splits the oil.
• Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes. It doubles the flavour.
• Leftover pesto keeps for a week under a layer of olive oil in the fridge.

More like this

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