Wild Garlic Pesto

So I made Wild Garlic Pesto today, I couldn't stop thinking about it after writing my woodsy post last night and drooling over all that lush green on my computer screen. I desperately wanted to taste the colour of my photos, I wanted to see what fresh Spring woodland tastes like.

I found a very simple recipe that was different to a classic pesto in that there was no parmesan cheese involved, just three ingredients seasoned with salt and pepper. All you require is wild garlic leaves, almonds and olive oil. I absolutely LOVE simple recipes like this, only three ingredients!! I think I was supposed to have flaked almonds but I could only find whole blanched almonds at the farm shop. I started out attempting to cut them into flakes, but after seven nuts I gave up and threw them all into my chopper for a quick blitz. Easy peasy.

The next stage is to toast the nuts gently in a dry frying pan (no oil) until they turn golden and smell divine - stir them all the time so that they don't catch and burn as they change colour very quickly.

And then it's just a simple case of whizzing it all up in the chopper, how easy is this? Oh, one other thing about the ingredients, I found I only had half the required amount of wild garlic, so I added in the same amount of baby spinach to make up the quantity.

Whizzing is a fun thing to do in the kitchen, I love the speed of it very much. I also really love my little chopper, it's a Bosch one (from Amazon UK) and is one of my most used kitchen gadgets (along with my digital scales). I was impressed how easily it demolished the almonds, don't think I've chopped nuts in it before. I couldn't really do the drizzling of the oil as instructed, so just had to add the oil a bit at a time, whizz, add more oil, whizz etc until I ended up with a smooth paste.

I dolloped the lush green mixture into a mini kilner jar, covering the pesto with oil as the recipe said. Apparently, this will keep for a few months in the fridge, that's if I don't eat garlic pesto pasta for lunch every day for a week which I'm seriously tempted to do.

Will you just feast your eyes on that colour!!! I haven't messed with this photo at all, wild garlic pesto really is this green in real life and the smell.....mmmmmmmmm, the smell is completely wonderful.

I had just enough dry tagliatelle pasta in the cupboard to rustle up a simple lunch for one. Pasta cooked al dente, tossed with a generous dollop of wild garlic pesto and a little finely grated cheese added at the end.

I would like to tell you that I took my time and savoured every fork full, but in truth I wolfed the lot in double quick time. I was a bit ashamed of my lack of savouring, but I just couldn't help myself. So yummy. Every mouthful tasted deliciously green and wonderfully garlicky, such a beautiful, simple Spring lunch. It was every bit as good as I hoped it would be.

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Comments

[Clare]

Looks really yummy plus I love that it can be dairy free, I used almonds in some many things, ground almonds are great stirred into soup if you can't have dairy for the creaminess

Clare x

[Tessa]

That looks like what we call ramps in the states. One of the many reasons I love springtime! Your pesto looks so delicious I want to lick the screen....but I won't! I can practically smell it. So good!

[Chel @ Sweetbriar Dreams]

This looks incredible, the colour just oozes healthy and deliciousness. I am certainly going to give this a go. Have a wonderful weekend. Chel x

[Joy]

Quick and simple and oh so tasty!! Lush xx Joy xx

[Nienke]

Looks great! Such a shame we don't have wild garlic in our forests.

[Kathy Mlaker]

Hi Lucy, I am new to your blog. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading about your life. It is so different in the UK compared to the states. I have read all of your archives and enjoyed them immensely.
Your pesto looks wonderful, I can almost smell it. Thank you for writing such a wonderful blog.

[C Ray]

Looks fab. Apparently, it tastes good if you lay the leaves under a chicken to roast. Infuses it with garlickyness.

[Gemma Garner]

Lovely!! Now I have a hankering for wild garlic pesto :)

[Wendy Willis]

I had pasta pesto for dinner. Shop bought though. I am now going to pick some garlic on my morning dog walk tomorrow. There is loads in the lanes near my house.

[Emma]

Wild garlic is heaven!
If you make cod or so you can wrap your cod in the leaves and then steem-put in the oven. And then just butter and dried apricots as a sauce (mixed together). The taste and colours are terrific!

[ombretta auguadri]

Brava Lucy,
it looks delicious !!!
Ombretta x

[Vanessa]

Oh that's so good to know. I'll have a go. I love simple sauces with pasta. I've been pinning simple things to do with salmon today. I'm all for simple and delicious meals........probably because I'm lazy!!!!!!!!!!! Ha ha xxxxxxxx

[Pom Pom]

Yummy and VERY forest-y! What a great recipe you found.

[Angela-Southern USA]

Now I'm craving wild garlic pesto! Actually I have been since you first posted about it, even dreamed of searching the woods for it. lol Enjoy!...I feel a hike coming on.

[Spécialiste de l'éphémère]

THis is soooo good! It tastes spring and joy!

[gabriella adano]

Hello really very interesting your wild garling pesto...I think is delicius with pasta...I live in the land of Ligurian Pesto!!!Do you taste it?Kisses

[Jessica]

Hello Lucy! If you just use oil and salt for the pesto (any taste, any herbs)you can keep the spring taste for months! Add the nuts and cheese later on. Have a nice day! Greetings from Jessica, Dresden, Germany

[Claire]

Oh that green!

Right, I'm off on a wild garlic hunt!

[Judy Glasson]

Just a note of thanks for your lovely blog. I usually catch up every few weeks. You always make me smile and I really need that. I wish I could crochet but alas. Your colours are so inspirational. It makes me want to get the wool out and start knitting. Mind you I live in Brisbane Australia and we don't have much of a winter. I'm on my own now ( my wonderful husband died 20 months ago) so please keep up the good work. Thanks again Lucy. best wishes from Judy.

[Annie Brodrick]

Hi Lucy! This evening I had a dinner salad with an avocado a similar shade of green as your pesto, cut up into it. While I dined I kept thinking that I needed to find a yarn in that shade of green ;)

[Teresa Kasner]

What a great idea! I love using wild greens to make things at home. Very "green" of you! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[cristina]

I looooooooove pasta with pesto!
Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy!!!!!!!!!!!

[crafty mema]

yummy
xooxox crafty mema

[Jill]

Mmm yumm it looks amazing, I can smell it from here :)

[Winwick Mum]

That looks fabulous! The only wild garlic that I've spotted near to us is on a roadside and I'm not sure that petrol fumes would add to the flavour! I'll have to go on a hunt :-) xx