Wild Garlic Pesto Pasta (Printable)
Fresh wild garlic pesto tossed with al dente pasta, finished with Parmesan and pine nuts.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried spaghetti or linguine
02 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for pasta water
→ Wild Garlic Pesto
03 - 2.8 oz wild garlic leaves, washed and patted dry
04 - 1 oz pine nuts (or walnuts)
05 - 1.8 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 - Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
10 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 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 through a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine the wild garlic leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic clove (if using), lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until a smooth, vibrant paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
03 - Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the wild garlic pesto and toss vigorously, adding small splashes of the reserved pasta water to build a silky, emulsified sauce that coats every strand evenly.
04 - Divide the pasta among warm serving bowls. Finish with an extra shower of grated Parmesan and a scattering of wild garlic leaves or edible flowers. Serve without delay.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The color alone will stop conversation at the table turning everything a vivid almost improbable green.
- It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like you foraged it yourself even if you bought the leaves at a farmers market.
02 -
- Wild garlic wilts and discolors fast so make the pesto as close to serving as you can manage and never blend it with hot ingredients.
- The starchy pasta water is not optional here because it is the difference between a clumpy paste and a sauce that flows like silk.
03 -
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for two minutes until golden before blending because it wakes up a sweetness you did not know was there.
- If you cannot find wild garlic use half basil and half baby spinach and add one extra garlic clove to approximate the flavor.