This delicious wild garlic pesto is quick to make yourself and goes wonderfully with pasta, risotto, gnocchi, baguette or even on pizza.
Thanks to its intense aroma, wild garlic is fairly easy to find in forests or shady parks – or simply at your local greengrocer or on the supermarket shelf. The main season is always between March and May. In flavor, wild garlic is reminiscent of garlic, but without the fragrant side effects, and it’s fresh, savory and easy to digest.
Wild garlic pesto is made just like a classic pesto: with toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil and a hint of lemon.
Wild Garlic Pesto
Ingredients
- 100 g wild garlic
- 50 g pine nuts
- 50 g Parmesan
- 1 small garlic clove
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 80 ml olive oil
- 0.25 tsp grated lemon zest, organic
Nutrition per 100 g, approx.: 448 kcal9 g protein5 g carbs45 g fat1 g fiber
Estimates, calculated from the ingredients.
Equipment
- Mini food chopper
- or food processor, immersion blender or similar
Instructions
- Toast 50 g pine nuts in a pan until golden brown and let cool.
- Clean 100 g wild garlic, dry, chop roughly and set aside.
- Roughly chop 50 g Parmesan and chop finely in a small food processor or mini food chopper.
- Add the cooled pine nuts and 1 small garlic clove and also chop briefly with the machine.
- Add the prepared wild garlic and 0.5 tsp salt and purée. While doing so, gradually drizzle in about 80 ml olive oil.
- Season with 0.25 tsp grated lemon zest and serve.
Tips
- When it comes to olive oil, it’s important to use a good one. You can’t make a delicious pesto from a bad olive oil.
- To make the pesto, I use a mini food chopper or small food processor (link to Amazon) (Anzeige). It’s quick, and the appliance has enough power to chop the Parmesan too. If you only have an immersion blender, it’s best to grate the Parmesan first and chop the garlic very finely. Then roughly purée the Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, herbs and salt together with half of the oil using the immersion blender. Then slowly add the second half of the olive oil.
- Cover the pesto with plenty of olive oil so that it keeps for a few days in the fridge.
- Let the pesto come to room temperature before eating so the flavors can develop.
Find more kitchen tips from A to Z in our Kitchen A–Z.
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MORE PESTO IDEAS?
- Green pesto
- Pumpkin seed pesto
- Wild mushroom risotto with lemon parsley pesto
- Mediterranean grilled vegetables with steak and pesto
- Conchiglioni with lemon zucchini and hazelnut pesto
Frequently Asked Questions about Wild Garlic Pesto
What goes well with wild garlic pesto?
It’s great with pasta, risotto, gnocchi, baguette or on pizza. We served it in a risotto with tender slow-cooked salmon fillet.
What should I watch out for when foraging wild garlic?
Wild garlic can be confused with poisonous plants such as lily of the valley or autumn crocus. Crush a leaf: only wild garlic clearly smells of garlic. If you’re unsure, buy it from a greengrocer instead.
How do I make the pesto without a food processor?
First grate the Parmesan and chop the garlic very finely. Then roughly blend everything with half the oil using an immersion blender. Slowly add the remaining olive oil.
How long does wild garlic pesto keep?
Put the pesto in a clean jar and cover it with a layer of olive oil. That way it keeps for a few days in the fridge. Always use a clean spoon and top it off with a little oil afterward.
Can I freeze wild garlic pesto?
Yes, and that way you can enjoy it long after wild garlic season. Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze it in portions. The cubes keep in a freezer bag for about 3 months. Just add them straight to hot pasta.
