Lemony Pesto w/ Flour + Water Campanelle
A few swirls of My My Meyer Lemon oil add some California sunshine to this classic Pesto Genovese — and FLOUR + WATER’s Campanelle pasta offer the perfect floret-shaped vehicle for eat sumptuous bite.
Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed basil
⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic, peeled
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
Black Pepper
Salt
⅓ cup My My Meyer lemon oil, plus a few more glugs for finishing
A few heaping handful, freshly grated Parmesan or Grana cheese
1 pound, FLOUR & WATER Campanelle Pasta
Steps
Toast Pine nuts on the stove, over low-medium heat until fragrant and golden.
Whizz basil, My My Lemon oil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper in a food processor. If you have the time and the will to use a mortar and pestle, that makes a very beautifully textured pesto, but the food processor works just fine and goes in the dishwasher.
Cook Campanelle until al-dente — remember to salt the water so it tastes like the sea, and reserve a few spoonfuls.
Dress the pasta: toss the drained pasta in pesto, coating each floret with oily, herby goodness. Then, add Parmesan cheese a handful at a time, incorporating as you go. Add a spoonful or two of reserved pasta water, allowing the cheese and pesto to meld and hug the the pasta. (With a raw sauce like pesto, I use less pasta water, but just a spoonful of starchy water helps pull everything together.
Serve pasta, finishing each bowl with a swirl of My My Meyer lemon oil and a sprinkle of freshly grated parm.