Ingredients to serve four:
- 1 large bunch basil
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅓ cup (25 g) chopped walnuts
- 1¼ cups (150 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
- 2 cups (250 g) freshly made tagliatelle or spaghetti
- Butter or margarine
This dish may be made with any pasta, although the thin, string-like varieties are best. If you are making your own pasta, follow the instructions for rolling and cutting given in the recipe for tagliatelle. The pesto sauce is mixed in at the table.
Remove the stems from a large bunch of basil and put the leaves into a mortar or small mixing bowl with 1 crushed garlic clove, ⅓ cup of chopped walnuts, ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and a little salt. Pound the ingredients with a pestle until they form a thick puree.
Beat in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a little at a time, until the sauce is well blended and thick like creamed butter. Alternatively, put all the ingredients, except the oil, into a blender and mix to a puree. Slowly add the oil and blend at high speed until the sauce is smooth.
Add 2 cups of freshly made pasta to a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the pasta and pile it into a warmed serving bowl.
At the table spoon the sauce over the pasta and top with a piece of butter or margarine.
Serve immediately with a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.
