
Basil Pesto Genovese Pasta Sauce
I first had Pesto Genovese on my travels through Italy, when I stopped for a night in Genoa. It is a delicious basil pasta sauce. I think it goes perfectly with gnocchi, which is a real favourite of mine. I don’t eat it a lot these days, but have found a great gluten free brand so we have it every now and again! It is a SUPER simple dinner that you can make very quickly. Simply boil a pot of water and have your pasta cooking while you make the sauce. It reheats really well, so it’s also a great option for making ahead for lunches. - Bec
We featured this recipe in Episode 11 of the podcast.
Recipe Tester Feedback: "So easy, my girls loved it over pasta. I omitted the chilli for the kids, but can see it would be a nice addition for the adults." - Suzanne
No: Gluten / Egg
Contains: Dairy / Nuts
Total Preparation Time 10 minutes
Serves 4
Cannot be frozen
Ingredients
- Parmesan cheese - 20g, or pecorino cheese
- fresh basil - 60g, leaves
- cashew nuts - 70g, or pine nuts
- chilli - 1 (optional, to your preferred heat)
- garlic clove - 1, peeled
- butter - 15g, or oil
- salt - pinch
- pepper - pinch
- water - 60g
Method
- Add Parmesan cheese (20g) to the bowl. Grate Speed 8 / 10 seconds.
- Add basil leaves (60g), cashews (70g), chilli (1) and garlic clove (1). Chop Speed 6 / 12 seconds. Scrape down sides.
- Chop again Speed 6 / 5 seconds. Scrape down sides.
- Add butter (15g) to the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Program 2:30 minutes / 80C / Speed 1.5.
- Add water (60g). Program 1 minute / 80C / Speed 4.
- Pour the sauce over your favourite pasta - it's perfect for gnocchi!