Pasta with Pistou

A vibrant green paste coating every ribbon of pasta. The powerful scent of fresh basil and garlic hits the nose, while the olive oil provides a rich, glossy finish.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 10 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 722
• Protein: 19 g
• Carbs: 79 g
• Fat: 38 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Linguine ( dried pasta )
• 2 piece Basil ( leaves only )
• 3 piece Garlic ( germ removed )
• 60 g Parmesan cheese ( freshly grated )
• 40 g Pine nut ( lightly toasted )
• 100 ml Extra virgin olive oil ( first press )
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt ( for the mortar )
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground ( from the mill )

Instructions

1. Cooking the pasta

   Drop the linguine into a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook until firm to the bite, al dente. Reserve a ladle of cooking water before draining.

2. Preparing the pistou

   Pound the garlic with salt in a mortar until it forms a paste. Add the basil leaves and pine nuts, then crush using circular motions. Emulsify by drizzling in olive oil until the sauce is bound and smooth.

3. Final binding

   Mix the hot pasta with the pistou and grated parmesan. Add a splash of cooking water to loosen the sauce: it should coat the pasta perfectly without clumping.

Chef's tips

• Never heat the pistou in a pan; high heat destroys the basil's aroma and dulls its color.
• A mortar and pestle is better than a blender to maintain a grainy texture that clings to the pasta.

Storage

Consume immediately. Excess pistou can be kept for 3 days in the fridge, covered with a layer of olive oil.