Pasta is the perfect base for a weekday dinner and pairs perfectly with a jar of pesto, whether it be red or green.
Fans of the latter can make an even healthier and more flavoursome meal with Mary Berry’s recipe for a fragrant “pistou” rather than a traditional pasto.
Sharing her recipe from the book Mary Berry Classic, the chef said: “Pistou is a classic Provençal sauce made of basil, garlic and oil, similar to pesto but without the pine nuts and Parmesan.”
The dish is so easy to customise by switching the linguine for other pasta shapes, and the sauce itself comes together in seconds.
And best of all, it takes just 10 minutes to make from start to finish.
Method
A blender or food processor is essential for the sauce, which is made by adding herbs, garlic, lemon juice and creme fraiche.
Whizz until the herbs are finely chopped and everything is nicely combined, then season well with salt and pepper.
Next, cook the linguine in boiling salted water as per packet instructions, then drain and reserve two tablespoons of the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, grab a frying pan and melt some butter in it before adding the mushrooms. Fry over high heat for two minutes, then cover with a lid and cook on low heat for three more minutes.
Remove the lid once the mushrooms are golden and the liquid has evaporated, then spoon the mushrooms into a bowl.
Add the pistou sauce and the reserved pasta water to the frying pan and heat until just boiling. Tip in the pasta, season with salt and pepper and toss until coated and warmed through.
Remove from the heat, add most of the Parmesan and mushrooms and toss to combine. Serve in warmed bowls with a scattering of more parmesan and mushrooms, then taste for seasoning.
