Wild Garlic and Walnut Pesto
Wild garlic and walnut pesto adds a burst of flavour, goodness and vibrant green colour to pasta, risottos and many other dishes. This homemade pesto recipe also adds a nice garlicky punch to salad dressings and wraps.
Equipment
- Food processor, blender or mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 60 g wild garlic leaves washed in cold water
- 30 g walnuts
- 60 ml olive oil
- 30 g parmesan finely grated
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- seasoning if required
Instructions
- Add the walnuts to the food processor or blender and blitz until finely chopped.
- Add the washed wild garlic leaves, lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse until the leaves are broken down and the pesto has your desired consistency.
- Add the grated parmesan and blitz briefly to mix.
- Taste and add seasoning if required. Parmesan is naturally salty so you may not need additional salt.
Notes
- For a lower fat pesto recipe, replace half of the olive oil with water
- Toast the walnuts in a pan for a more distinctive roasted flavour. Just pop them in a dry pan over a medium heat until they are the desired colour. Nuts burn really easily so keep a close eye on them.
- If you are serving wild garlic and walnut pesto pasta, stir a tablespoon of the pasta water into the pesto. It'll make it creamier, and it'll coat the pasta better.
- Another hard cheese such as mature cheddar can be used in place of parmesan. Or for a vegan version, omit the cheese and add a little nutritional yeast.
- If you don't have lemon juice, add a splash of white wine vinegar.
Nutrition
Calories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 1.6gProtein: 4.6gFat: 20.1gSaturated Fat: 3.3gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 0.1g
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