Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Spaghetti Hey Pesto

Serves: 6

Notes

Sometimes a dish is not just the flavour and texture of the food as you eat it, but the sensations you experience while preparing it. There are few things to compare with the aromas of toasting pine nuts, basil leaves being chopped, parmesan and nutmeg grated, garlic crushed as you make a beautiful pesto sauce to partner spaghetti. This easy recipe is one of my favourite pasta dishes.

Ingredients

• 500g spaghetti
• 100g parmesan cheese (preferably in a block)
• 100g basil leaves (must be fresh)
• 100g pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Method

Put pine nuts in frying pan and toast over high heat for a couple of minutes to bring out the full flavour of this wondrous nut. They should be lightly brown – not black.(This process is optional.) Chop pine nuts roughly into breadcrumb-like consistency. Finely chop basil leaves. Grate parmesan cheese. Peel, crush and chop garlic. Put egg yolk, basil and garlic into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly stir in olive oil, a dribble at a time to start with, gradually increasing to a fine stream until all the oil is incorporated. Stir in pine nuts. In a large quantity of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti according to instructions on packet, remembering that it’s best served al dente. Drain and toss spaghetti with the nutmeg, reserving a couple of tablespoons of water to add to the pesto sauce. Stir the spaghetti water and half the parmesan cheese with the pesto sauce and then serve the sauce tossed with the spaghetti and topped with remaining parmesan cheese.