Wild Garlic Pesto (Nut-Free)
The wild garlic season is transient and, at this time of year, it's nearly at an end. But, to preserve it for a little longer, make a batch of this pesto. You can freeze it in small portions and then use it to flavour many a meal: stir it into pasta, fill a cheese toasty with it, top it on a summer pizza, or fold it into bread dough.
This pesto is quick to make. If you don't have a food processor, a liquidiser will break up the pumpkin seeds, and an electric hand whisk will whizz up the wild garlic. When you're ready to use the pesto, stir it again thoroughly, as the oil will have separated a little.
This nut-free version is my staple pesto recipe, as I can't eat many of the commercial pesto varieties.
Store in the fridge for a few days (or freeze it).
The wild garlic season is transient and, at this time of year, it's nearly at an end. But, to preserve it for a little longer, make a batch of this pesto. You can freeze it in small portions and then use it to flavour many a meal: stir it into pasta, fill a cheese toasty with it, top it on a summer pizza, or fold it into bread dough.
This pesto is quick to make. If you don't have a food processor, a liquidiser will break up the pumpkin seeds, and an electric hand whisk will whizz up the wild garlic. When you're ready to use the pesto, stir it again thoroughly, as the oil will have separated a little.
This nut-free version is my staple pesto recipe, as I can't eat many of the commercial pesto varieties.
Store in the fridge for a few days (or freeze it).
Ingredients
Method
1. Grate the parmesan cheese into a large bowl.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds: simply place them in a dry saucepan over a low heat and stir frequently. When you start to hear popping, they're sufficiently toasted.
- 50g parmesan cheese
- 50g pumpkin seeds
- 50g wild garlic leaves, chopped into small pieces
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- 120ml good quality olive oil
- Microplane grater
- Food processor, liquidiser and/or electric hand whisk
Method
1. Grate the parmesan cheese into a large bowl.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds: simply place them in a dry saucepan over a low heat and stir frequently. When you start to hear popping, they're sufficiently toasted.
3. Use a food processor or liquidiser to blitz the seeds into crumbs. Then use the food processor or an electric hand whisk to do the same to the wild garlic leaves. Blend together with the seeds and the lemon juice.