This particular dish has risen to the status of “Lily’s Favourite”, so it’s a regular at our house.
When I say regular I don’t mean once a month, we eat this at least twice a week.
It’s fresh, zingy, creamy and spectacularly moreish.
It’s the sort of thing you can whip up at a moments notice, particularly if you have an abundance of basil!
You can play pretty loose and fast with the measurements of this recipe (I rarely measure anything that I throw in, and it’s always delicious!) However… you must, must, must stick to the ingredients.
Don’t try and use some low-fat cooking spray instead of olive oil and then tell me it didn’t work.
The ingredients are really key here, and they’re all good for you! No matter what low-fat marketers want you to think, these are all healthy fats and they are absolutely integral for your wellbeing, health, skin, hair, nails, you name it! The only people who tell you that natural fats are bad for you, are trying to sell you their horrible alternative.
So now that’s out of the way, let’s get cooking!
This recipe makes a big pot of pesto, which you could use over enough pasta for four people, or make less pasta and then keep the jar in the fridge to slather over sandwiches and dip things into for the rest of the week.
You will need:
2 cups fresh basil (stuff as much in as you can!)
1 cup grated parmesan (DO NOT buy the powdered stuff, it won’t behave the same way – just put a big hunk of parmesan into the blender, it’ll do all the work)
1 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup shelled pistachios
1 big clove of peeled garlic
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of warm water
Pinch of salt + pepper
If you don’t have a cup measurement, use a teacup or a small glass. Simply measure everything out and throw it all into a blender/food processor.
If it’s too thick and won’t come together, add a little more oil and water.
Pour over hot pasta, of any kind.
Mix well.
And serve!
The best things in life are the simplest!
This is summer in a bowl.
People always ask me what my “Death Row Meal” would be… let’s just say I would be pretty happy if I had a big bowl of this, in the garden with family and friends, before I pasta-way.
