A softer, cheaper pesto built on toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts, clinging to the twists of gluten-free fusilli.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
12 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£1.55
Difficulty
easy
Walnuts make a rounder, less resinous pesto than pine nuts and cost a fraction of the price. A spoonful of pasta water beaten in at the end turns it from a paste into a proper sauce.
Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 4 minutes, shaking often, until they smell nutty. Tip onto a plate and let them cool completely.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the fusilli to the packet time.
Put the cooled walnuts, basil, garlic, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse to a coarse rubble. With the motor running, pour in the oil in a thin stream until you have a thick, textured paste.
Pulse rather than blitz. Pesto beaten completely smooth loses its bite and can taste bitter.
Scrape into a large bowl and stir in the grated cheese and lemon juice by hand.
Reserve a mugful of pasta water, drain the fusilli, and tip it into the bowl. Toss, adding water a tablespoon at a time until the pesto coats every twist.
Check the seasoning and serve warm rather than piping hot, which is when basil tastes best.