Spaghetti with Pesto alla Genovese

Yields2 servings
CuisineItalian
CategoryMain course

Preparation Time15 minutes
Cooking Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes

Markus Stumpf

Spaghetti with Pesto alla Genovese. As good-quality pine nuts are currently difficult to obtain, I have replaced them with almonds. I also use the tender basil stems, as they contain a great deal of flavour and add extra fibre to the pesto. Also this contributes to less food waste.

Ingredients

400 g spaghetti
100 g fresh basil (leaves and tender stems)
50 g almonds
50 g Parmesan
2 cloves garlic
5 tbsp olive oil
½ lemon (juice)
salt
black pepper

Ingredients: fresh basil
Ingredients: grated Parmesan
Ingredients: toasted almonds
Toasting the almonds
Ingredients in a tall container
Finished Pesto alla Genovese
Fresh basil sprigs
Cooked spaghetti
Mixing the spaghetti with the Pesto alla Genovese
Finished dish: Spaghetti with Pesto alla Genovese
Finished dish: Spaghetti with Pesto alla Genovese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto.
Toast the almonds in a pan with ½ tablespoon of the olive oil.
Wash the basil. Reserve two attractive sprigs for garnish, roughly tear the remaining basil and place it into a tall container.
Add the juice of half a lemon, the garlic, salt and black pepper.
Add the toasted almonds.
Pour in the remaining olive oil and blend everything with a hand blender .
Fold in the grated Parmesan using a spoon . If the pesto is too thick, add a little more olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Mix the pesto with the cooked spaghetti (the pasta does not need to be completely drained, as a little pasta water helps the pesto coat the spaghetti) and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Actual values may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.