Chefs Binge · Eastern European · Serves 4 servings
Easy Wild Garlic and Orange Pesto Pasta (Delicious Ramps Recipe)
Wild garlic blitzed into a pesto with pine nuts and Parmigiano, then loosened with pasta water and finished with orange zest and juice stirred through at the end rather than blended in.
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4 servings
Per serving
593 kcal
Ingredients
400 g Rigatoni pasta - cooked al dente
140 g Wild garlic leaves
200 ml Extra virgin olive oil
70 g Parmigiano-Reggiano - finely grated, plus extra to serve
70 g Pine nuts
1 Garlic clove
1 Orange - Juice and zest
Salt and black pepper to taste
Equipment
Food processor · Salad Spinner · Mortar and Pestle
Method
1
Prepare the Ingredients. Wash and prepare the wild garlic leaves. Measure out the pasta, cheese, pine nuts, olive oil, and prepare the garlic clove. Zest and juice the orange.
2
Cook the Pasta. Boil water in a large pot, add a pinch of salt, and cook the rigatoni until al dente, following the package instructions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set it aside, reserving a bit of the pasta water.
3
Make the Wild Garlic Pesto. In a food processor, combine the wild garlic leaves, pine nuts, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, the garlic clove and about half the olive oil. Blend in short bursts, then pour in the rest of the oil in a thin stream with the motor running, until it comes together as a coarse paste rather than a puree. A long grind warms the leaves and turns the colour from green to khaki. Season with salt and pepper.
4
Combine Pasta and Pesto. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta with a generous amount of the wild garlic pesto. Add a bit of reserved pasta water to help the sauce coat the pasta evenly. Mix in the orange zest and juice, adjusting the quantities to suit your taste.
5
Serve and Garnish. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls. Grate additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the top. Serve immediately, recommending a glass of red wine for an enhanced dining experience.
Chef’s notes
Makes about 400 g of pesto, which is more than the pasta needs. A heaped tablespoon a portion, loosened with the cooking water.
Dry the leaves properly. Wild garlic comes in gritty and wet; rinse in a bowl, lift the leaves out, then dry them or the pesto will not cling.
Short bursts in the processor. A long grind warms the leaves and the colour goes from green to khaki.
Keeping it: fridge up to 5 days under a thin layer of oil, or freeze in an ice-cube tray for about 3 months.
Per serving Calories 593 kcal · Protein 15 g · Carbs 35 g · Fat 49 g · Saturates 9 g · Fibre 3 g · Sugar 2 g · Sodium 1 mg
Recipe © Chef Łukasz Babral · chefsbinge.com · for personal use only
chefsbinge.com/easy-wild-garlic-and-orange-pesto-pasta-delicious-ramps-recipe
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