Spaghetti al pesto
Spaghetti al pesto is a typical and appetizing first course of Italian cuisine, originally from Liguria, and has become famous all over the world for its simplicity and goodness. Pesto is a sauce made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, salt and olive oil. Spaghetti are seasoned with this sauce creating a simple but very tasty dish.
Basil is the main ingredient in pesto, and it must be fresh and of high quality to obtain an intense and aromatic flavour. Fresh basil, mixed with pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil creates a tasty and velvety sauce.
To prepare spaghetti with pesto, you start by cooking the spaghetti in plenty of salted water. Meanwhile, the pesto is prepared in a mortar or blender, mixing all the ingredients until a creamy consistency is obtained. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain and add to the pesto, stirring well to make the sauce adhere to the spaghetti.
Spaghetti with pesto can be served with a sprinkling of grated cheese on top and will be a perfect vegetarian dish or accompanied with other fresh vegetables such as cherry tomatoes or courgettes, or even with fish such as prawns. It's up to you!
They are a versatile dish and can be prepared in minutes, ideal for a quick but tasty lunch. It can also be prepared in a vegan version by replacing the cheese with vegetable alternatives and pesto is also an excellent base for creating other dishes such as panini, or as a pizza topping.
Today we are going to prepare the classic version. Simply spaghetti al pesto. Pesto alla Genovese.
The old fashioned way is to use the mortar to make a creamier, greener basil pesto, but I'm using a simple blender to speed up the process. Just make sure you're blending on the slowest speed and in spurts: blend for a few seconds, stop, and start again.
Recommended items to make this recipe:
Watch my latest video on Instagram! Leave a like and a comment!
[instagram-feed feed=1]Do you want a fresh and fragrant dish perfect for your menu? Then spaghetti al pesto is a classic recipe, the one you were looking for! Pesto, the cornerstone of Ligurian cuisine, is a very versatile sauce and always very popular on the table, which can be used to make excellent first courses, such as lasagne, and embellish pasta dishes with its rich and unmistakable taste. Pesto releases all the goodness and freshness contained in the basil leaves, creating a creamy condiment that enhances the good flavors and colors of Mediterranean cuisine!
- 340 g spaghetti
- 100 g fresh basil leaves
- 30 g Pecorino Romano D.O.P
- 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P
- 40 g pine nuts
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt&pepper
Gently wash and dry the basil leaves.
You can use this tool I used to dry all the excess water. (Link in the description)
Transfer them to the mixer together with the oil and the pine nuts and start blending. Then add the cheeses and mix again. If necessary, add more oil to obtain a homogeneous cream.
Boil the spaghetti and when they are cooked al dente, drain them, setting aside a little cooking water.
Add a little pesto, about a spoonful for every two people, mix and add a couple of spoonfuls of cooking water.
Serve the spaghetti piping hot by adding a sprinkling of parmesan or pecorino! Buon appetito!
If you don't have a mortar, don't despair: you can use a blender (if possible, with plastic blades), leaving the cup and blades in the fridge for an hour before use. And to prevent the pesto from overheating, you can blend at the lowest speed and in spurts: blend for a few seconds, stop and start again.
The processing of the pesto should be as short as possible in order not to oxidize the ingredients. You can also make plenty of it and freeze it in plastic coffee cups, so you'll have it all for the winter! A small plastic cup is enough to season pasta for 4 people.
It is preferable to consume spaghetti al pesto at the moment; alternatively they can be kept for a maximum of 1 day in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If there is any leftover pesto, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or frozen in small jars in the freezer.
