Wild Garlic Pesto Pasta (Printable)
Fresh spring pasta tossed with vibrant wild garlic pesto, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.
# What You Need:
→ Wild Garlic Pesto
01 - 2.6 ounces wild garlic leaves, rinsed and patted dry
02 - 1.8 ounces toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
03 - 1.8 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 garlic clove
05 - ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
06 - Juice of ½ lemon
07 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Pasta
08 - 14 ounces dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or penne)
09 - Salt, for pasta water
→ Optional Garnish
10 - Extra grated Parmesan
11 - Freshly cracked black pepper
# How To Make:
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. Reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water before draining in a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, place the wild garlic leaves, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, and garlic clove into a food processor. Pulse several times until the ingredients are roughly chopped and combined.
03 - With the processor running continuously, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil until a smooth, vibrant green paste forms. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - Add the drained pasta to a large bowl or back to the pot. Spoon the wild garlic pesto over the pasta and toss vigorously, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, even coating.
05 - Divide among plates and serve immediately. Finish with extra grated Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This pesto comes together in roughly the same time it takes to boil pasta, which means dinner is on the table in under half an hour without sacrificing an ounce of flavor.
- Wild garlic has a softer, more nuanced bite than regular garlic, making the sauce feel unexpectedly elegant for something so effortless.
02 -
- Wild garlic leaves wilt and brown quickly once blended so this pesto is best used the same day and does not store with the same vivid color as basil pesto.
- A splash of lemon juice directly on the leaves before blending helps preserve that electric green color and prevents oxidation from dulling the sauce.
03 -
- If the pesto tightens up and seems too thick after sitting, loosen it with a tablespoon of warm pasta water rather than more oil because fat will weigh it down.
- Blanch the wild garlic leaves for ten seconds in boiling water then shock them in ice water before blending for a sauce that stays bright green even hours later.