If you’ve followed my advice and multiplied your single basil plant from the supermarket into many more, by now, you’re probably up to your armpits in basil leaves.
So here’s a simple and utterly decadent way to quickly turn them into a very satisfying meal.
Take a handful of walnuts. Walnuts are one of the best nuts to snack on because they help you achieve healthy longevity, thanks to their omega 3 oils. Also, they are cheaper and tastier than the traditional pine nuts.
Put them into a mortar with a clove of de-skinned garlic. Then add about six good handfuls of basil leaves and crush the mix with the pestle.
When the mix has turned to a gel, add a dribble of extra virgin oil to loosen the mix.
Meanwhile cook dried pasta of your choice in rapidly boiling salted water until ‘al dente’, which will be about a minute less than the cooking time stated on the packet. After this time, test frequently by taking out a few strands of pasta from the rest, dropping them into a bowl of cold water and biting into them.
Once the texture is ‘al dente’ to your taste, remove from the heat and transfer the pasta onto the plate, using tongs, along with a dribble or two of the pasta water.
Immediately add the pesto and toss to coat the pasta. Oil and water don’t mix, remember? So that simple trick of bringing some of the pasta water with the pasta will now react with the olive oil to form a silky emulsion that with help the pesto to coat the pasta adding to the eating enjoyment of the dish.
Serve right away with a few extra basil leaves for garnish.
Bellissimo!