Wild Garlic Pesto Pasta (Printable)
Fresh wild garlic pesto tossed with al dente pasta for a vibrant spring dish.
# 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 fresh 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 (optional)
08 - Juice of ½ lemon
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
10 - Freshly 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 the pasta through a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine the wild garlic leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic clove (if using), and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until a smooth, vibrant green 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 to coat every strand evenly. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the pesto into a silky, clinging sauce.
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 if desired. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The pesto comes together raw in a blender, so the wild garlic keeps its punchy, bright character without ever tasting cooked or flat.
- It transforms a handful of foraged leaves into something that feels genuinely special with almost no effort.
02 -
- Wild garlic wilts and bruises fast, so use it the same day you pick or buy it, otherwise the pesto turns muddy and loses that electric green color.
- Adding the pesto off the heat preserves the delicate flavor, so never toss it into a screaming hot pan or you will cook away the very thing that makes it special.
03 -
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for two minutes before blending, the warmth unlocks a nuttiness that raw pine nuts simply do not have.
- If making pesto ahead, press a piece of cling film directly onto the surface to keep air out and prevent that dark oxidation layer from forming.