Honestly, I don’t think I’ve come across anyone who doesn’t love pesto. It’s delicious and super versatile; you can put it on bread, toss with pasta or salad, the possibility is endless, quite literally.

Now I know you shouldn’t mess with the classics or should one say “don’t fix something that’s not broken” but I say it doesn’t hurt to try? I mean with all the roasted garlic craze happening at the moment, we seem to put it in everything. Oh and yes, it’s very delicious if I haven’t made that clear enough.

Why This Recipe Works

Through extensive testing, I’ve found that roasting garlic transforms its sharp bite into sweet, complex flavors that complement traditional pesto ingredients perfectly. The combination creates a sauce that’s both familiar and excitingly new.

Understanding Your Components

1. Roasted Garlic:
   • Use whole garlic bulb and remove the top. Remove enough of the top so that the garlic flesh is exposed
   • Low, slow roasting brings out the sweetness of the garlic and removes the pungent flavours of the garlic
2. Pesto:
   • Fresh basil is the only option here. Please don’t use dried or semi-dried, it won’t be the same!
   • Pine nuts are needed for an authentic pesto. Alternatives: walnuts and pistachio for a different flavour profile. Just make sure you roast the nuts well to release its oil and flavours.
   • Parmigiano-Reggiano: highly encourage you to use the real cheese blocks and freshly grate it yourself. The flavours will be much stronger and more authentic. Use store-bought pre-grated cheese if you don’t have access to this.
3. Pasta:
   • I used rigatoni for this recipe. The pasta shape is a hollow tube which holds the sauce perfectly. Alternatives: i’ve tried this recipe with other pasta shapes and it’s still very good. Use what you have on hand if you prefer convenience
   • Cook pasta to al dente in salted water – which means firm to the bite. Follow pasta package instructions to cook your pasta.
   • Reserve some of the pasta water to add to sauce later

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Pesto can be prepared in advanced. Keeps refrigerated 5-7 days
• Boil pasta before mixing and serving
• Grate cheese fresh

Ingredients

2 handfuls basil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 garlic bulb
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup parmesan parmigiano
1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil
Rigatoni pasta
Salt and pepper

If you want a super quick midweek dinner, you can definitely make the pesto in advance and then just toss it in some cooked pasta once you’re ready to eat.

Method

Roast your garlic, it’s going to take the longest time but it’s all so worth it.

Cut 1cm from the top of your garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over the exposed cloves. Wrap tightly in aluminium foil and bake or airfry at 190C for 40-45 mins.

Halfway through the roasting process, put a pot of salted water on the stove to get it boiling. Cook your pasta to al dente.

While the boiling water/pasta situation is happening, make your pesto: In a mortar and pestle or blender, add in the washed basil, squeezed out roasted garlic, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest and juice, parmesan and olive oil, and grind to smooth. (If you’re using a mortar and pestle, grind your basil and pine nuts first before adding the rest of the ingredients). Salt and pepper to taste.

Drain your cooked pasta and add in few heaping tbs of pesto and pasta water, and toss until creamy and well combined.