Wild Garlic Pesto, a seasonal twist on the classic pesto sauce recipe that is incredibly delicious with a vibrant green colour and layers of deep flavours that spoil your taste buds. It's a super easy and quick recipe, which comes together in well under 10 minutes, and taste so much better than any store-bought pesto.
Back with another wild garlic recipe, I really couldn't help myself, every time I go out for a walk and I see so much wild garlic around, I can't not pick some up. Foraging is incredibly fun, plus, it's free food, so why not?!
After the success of my wild garlic butter, wild garlic focaccia , wild garlic nettles with polenta, wild garlic nettle soup and wild garlic lemon potatoes, this time I have the most popular twist on the classic pesto recipe.
Wild garlic pesto sauce is not just good, it's insanely good! To be honest, I have never been a massive fan of pesto, the pesto in ready-made jars, even the more expensive brands, just didn't tickle my taste buds, but making my own was a game changer.
Using the right kind of ingredients, and the right amounts is crucial. Basil, parmesan, pecorino, wild garlic, olive oil, are all very strong, flavourful ingredients, and using too much of some can spoil the whole thing, hence why the ratio used has to be just right.
It might sound like a cliche, but, yes, using good-quality ingredients do give you a good-quality pesto sauce, and enjoying a small amount of something good is better than making lots of something blah.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- wild garlic - it's the star of the show, it adds flavour, a lovely green colour and so much goodness
- basil - used in the traditional recipe too, it has a strong, sharp flavour that is nicely balaced out by the wild garlic
- parmesan - a key ingredient in pesto, parmesan has a lovely nutty flavour that can't possibly be replaced with any other hard cheese
- pecorino cheese - unlike parmesan, which is made with cow's milk, pecorino is made with ewe's milk and it's a lot saltier, the ratio I used is 3 parts parmesan, 1 part pecorino
- olive oil - use the best possibly extra virgin olive oil you can afford, it will make all the difference
- pine nuts - make sure you toast them lightly, they can burn quite quickly, so keep an eye on them. If you don't have pine nuts, you can swap them for walnuts, cashew or sunflower seeds
- lemon juice - stabilizes the colour and adds freshness
- salt & pepper - to taste
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- grate the parmesan and pecorino
- heat up a pan on a medium heat, add the pine nuts and toast them lightly for 2-3 minutes until golden
- roughly chop the wild garlic and parmesan
- add everything to a blender and pulse on a low setting until you get a coarse, textured consistency
Expert tips
Pick young leaves for the best flavour, wild garlic can turn bitter once it flowers, so the best time to forage it is early Spring. Make sure to wash and dry the leaves well before adding them to the sauce.
Don't overblend the sauce, it will lose its vibrant colour and nice texture. Add more oil if you want a thinner sauce that is ideal for pasta. I like mine a bit ticker, as I prefer to use it as a spread instead.
To refrigerate, cover the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation. It can be refrigerated for up to a week in an air-tight container.
Uses for wild garlic pesto
Toss it with any cooked pasta of your liking and a bit of the pasta water, and you get a delicious meal that literally everybody will love.
Use it as a spread, it works incredibly well with any crusty bread, soda bread, flat bread, sourdough and so much more. We served ours spread on toasted bread with mozarella and tomato slices and salami, it was so good!
You can also use it as a dip to enjoy with fresh veggies or breadsticks. You can also use it with chicken or white fish, either spread on top and cooked together, or tossed through veggies for maximum flavour.
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Wild Garlic Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 g wild garlic (1 packed cup)
- 10 g basil (¼ loosely packed cup)
- 85 ml extra virgin olive oil (⅓ cup)
- 20 g pine nuts (3 tbsp)
- 45 g parmesan (½ cup)
- 15 g pecorino (3 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Finely grate the parmesan and pecorino.
- Heat up a pan on a medium heat, add the pine nuts and toast them lightly for 2-3 minutes until golden.
- Roughly chop the wild garlic and basil, then add everything to a blender.
- Pulse briefly on a low setting to get a coarse, textured consistency.
Video
Notes
- Pick young leaves for the best flavour, wild garlic can turn bitter once it flowers, so the best time to forage it is early Spring. Make sure to wash and dry the leaves well before adding them to the sauce.
- Don't overblend the sauce, it will lose its vibrant colour and nice texture. Add more oil if you want a thinner sauce that is ideal for pasta. I like mine a bit ticker, as I prefer to use it as a spread instead.
- To refrigerate, cover the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation. It can be refrigerated for up to a week in an air-tight container.
Nutrition
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