At this time of year, wild garlic is everywhere. It’s smelly, bright green and takes about ten minutes to turn into a delicious pesto that rivals anything with basil in (I’m not a fan of basil, so this version is infinitely preferrable).
Makes: about enough for a 300ml jar
Prep: 10 minutes, if that
Lasts: 2 weeks in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer (longer if you vacuum seal)
Ingredients
- Wild garlic leaves – a large bunch (maybe 150g) washed
- Parmesan – 60g, finely grated (don’t tell the food fascists, but Grana Padano works too, as does generic hard Italian cheese)
- Pine nuts, walnuts or cashews – 50g, toasted if you like
- Extra virgin olive oil – 150–200ml (cold-pressed rapeseed oil works too)
- Lemon juice – to taste
- Coarse kosher salt – a good pinch
- Black pepper – to taste
Equipment
- A food processor or pestle & mortar
- A sterilised jar
- A grater or microplane
- A frying pan if you’re toasting your nuts
A food processor will pull everything together faster and will give your pesto a smoother texture. A pestle and mortar gives you more control over the texture and won’t heat the leaves, arguably giving a better colour and a fresher flavour.
Method
- Get your nuts toasted over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until just golden. Shake the pan often — they will catch fast. Set them aside to cool completely when they’re done.
- Wash the wild garlic leaves well and dry them thoroughly. Wet leaves will water the pesto down.
- Add leaves, cooled nuts, grated parmesan, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt to your processor. Pulse until roughly broken down.
- With the motor running (or your arm giving it some welly), drizzle in the olive oil gradually until you hit the consistency you want. That could be loose and glossy if you’re after something sauce-like, or thicker if you’re going to spread it.
- Taste it and add salt, pepper and lemon if required. Blitz (or stir) once more and you’re done.
- Transfer your delicious pesto to a sterilised jar. Pour a thin layer of oil over the top to seal it, then securely fasten the lid and get it into the fridge.
Optional Upgrades
You could swap the plain salt and pepper for smoked salt and smoked black pepper and you’ll get an extra level of flavour that shouldn’t work but absolutely does.
Smoked rapeseed oil instead of olive oil? Smoked parmesan…??!!
You can also make this recipe using few-flowered or three-cornered leek. Standard ‘use your head’ caveat- just make sure you pick somewhere away from regular dog walking routes.
