This recipe will reinforce your belief in the saying ‘Pesto is the besto.’
Wash the basil leaves and dry them out, either in a salad spinner or by spreading them out on kitchen towels and placing them under the fan. You don’t want the pesto to be too watery.
While the basil leaves are drying, toast the nuts on low heat, moving them around regularly so they don’t burn. Once they’re toasted, set them aside to cool.
Add the basil, nuts, grated cheese, garlic, and salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse to blend them together. Then run the processor and gently drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice through the feed tube until it has achieved your desired consistency. I like it a bit crunchy.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can make this in a mixer-grinder as well. Just make sure you add the oil in a couple of batches and don’t over process it or it will turn into a very fine paste.
Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the package, and remember to save some of the pasta water before you drain it all out. This helps to loosen up the sauce a bit if needed.
While the pasta is boiling, you can saute some toppings you want to add to it. I like chicken, baby corn, or mushrooms but I prefer to keep it simple so I usually stick to any one of these.
After the pasta is cooked, drain the water and add it back to the pot. Then add 3-4 tablespoons of the Pesto sauce and a little of the reserved cooking water if you want a slightly runny sauce. Give it a stir, add more sauce if needed, and toss in your other toppings.
Whisk 1 cup of greek yogurt till smooth and add 1-2 tablespoons of Pesto sauce. Mix well, and you have a lovely, vibrant dip. Serve with your favourite chips or nachos. This also makes for a delicious spread you can use in wraps and sandwiches.
0 servings