April 09, 2022

Pasta with Guanciale and Wild Garlic and Hazelnut Pesto by Barry Horne

By Tom Gibson
Pasta with Guanciale and Wild Garlic and Hazelnut Pesto by Barry Horne

Serves 4


Ingredients: 


1 pack of Liguori Trecce pasta (any pasta shape is good)

100g wild garlic

25g parmesan cheese grated

60g toasted hazelnuts

150ml good olive oil

50g guanciale (finely diced)

1 lemon

Salt 


Method:


To make the pesto use a large pestle and mortar or a blender. If using the pestle and mortar add the wild garlic with a good pinch of sea salt and start to break down. Add the hazelnuts and break up, grate in the cheese and mix well. Then slowly add the olive oil and keep bashing together to make a fine paste, season with salt if needed and add a good squeeze of lemon. If using a blender just add everything into the blender and blend until smooth.

When your pesto is made, get a large pan of water on the boil and season well with salt.

When boiling add the pasta and cook until al-dente.

While the pasta is cooking, add the finely diced guanciale or pancetta to a frying pan and turn on the heat to medium high heat. It's best to start it in a cold pan as this will help render the fat, cook for 7-8 mins  when the pasta is cooked, save a cup of the water and add the pasta to the frying pan, add a good amount of the pesto and add some of the pasta cooking water, toss together adding more water if needed.

Serve with a nice grating of the parmesan.