Recipe: Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto

Method

1. Prepare the pesto ingredients, remove the skin from the garlic, and grate the Parmesan if not already done.
2. Finely grate the garlic straight into the bowl of a food processor or blender, add in the basil leaves and stalks and the pine nuts.  Blitz to form a paste. You may need to add a little of the olive oil to help the blades purée the mixture. A little texture in pesto is desirable, so avoid blending the pesto to an overly smooth purée. Alternatively you can also use a pestle and mortar rather than a food processor, to give an even more textured finish.
3. Add in the grated Parmesan, pulse briefly to mix, then gradually pour in the olive oil with the motor running until the desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.
4. Bring a large pan of water to the boil.  Add 10g of salt per litre of water.
5. Cook for 1-2 minutes in boiling water until ‘al dente’.  Reserve a few spoonfuls of cooking water to finish the pasta.
6. Drain the pasta through a colander, transfer the tagliatelle into a bowl and add in a few spoonfuls of pesto along with some of the reserved cooking water, then gently toss to combine.
7. Using tongs, portion the pesto coated tagliatelle onto clean service plates.  Finish with a fine grating or shavings of parmesan and basil leaves, serve immediately.