This is easily the best pesto recipe I’ve come across, and once you’ve tasted it I guarantee you will never go back to shop bought. It works well with pasta or can be used to jazz up soups, vegetables (works really well with steamed green beans) or chicken dishes. The nice thing is you don’t need to be too exact on the ingredients, just taste as you go along and add more if necessary. And it only takes ten minutes to make- perfect for a week night supper.
Ingredients
- Small handful of pinenuts
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- Small bunch of basil (I use a small bag from the supermarket)
- ¾ of a bag of watercress- not to be confused with those little plastic tubs of salad cress (I use the bags that you get in the salad section of the supermarket)
- Large handful of grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Dried pasta for two people- don’t bother with penne or spaghetti, go for a really twisty style with lots of nooks and crannies to hold the sauce
Method
- Put the pasta on to cook. Toast the pinenuts in a frying pan, tossing them frequently. This will only take a matter of minutes, keep a close eye on the nuts as they will burn very easily once they start to brown. Once browned remove to a bowl and allow to cool for a minute.
- Use a hand blender (or a pestle and mortar if you don’t mind the extra work) to blend the garlic, basil, watercress (don’t bother removing the stems, it’s all going to get blitzed anyway), parmesan and pinenuts with a good glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. It’s up to you how much you blend- if you like chunky pesto just give it a rough blitz, if you like it smooth, go a bit longer. If the pesto looks a bit dry add a tablespoon of water to loosen it.
- Drain the pasta and mix in the pesto stirring well so that the heat from the pasta melts the cheese. Serve with lots of black pepper and extra grated pecorino.
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