I’ve been meaning to get around to making my own pesto for ages, and the basil plant on our kitchen windowsill was looking a bit overgrown so I decided to give it a go. This recipe is from Gino D’Acampo’s book ‘Gino’s Pasta‘, and you could make it without the yoghurt if you don’t want creamy pesto. I actually used creme fraiche so it was super creamy but really tasty! The original recipe uses homemade pasta, but we haven’t got a pasta machine (yet!) so I used dried.

Ingredients

60g fresh basil leaves
50g pine nuts
1 garlic clove, peeled
130ml olive oil
Zest of an unwaxed lemon
100g greek style yoghurt (I used one and a half heaped tablespoons of creme fraiche)
Salt and pepper to taste
500g spaghetti

Method

1. Place the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Add the olive oil and blitz until smooth.

2. Mix together the yoghurt and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the basil and mix well. Season to taste.

3. Cook the spaghetti until al dente (according to packet instructions if using dried pasta). Drain when cooked and then toss in the yoghurt pesto. Leave for 30 seconds to allow the pesto to coat the pasta, and then serve immediately. Enjoy!