Having a jar of pesto on hand for moments when you’re feeling uninspired can quickly make cooking feel like less of a chore, whether it’s adding a spoonful to some eggs or turning a simple pasta into a delicious and hearty salad. Pesto is also incredibly easy to make at home with a few ingredients, but there’s one you’ve probably never thought of adding that can transform it.
In an article for All Recipes, Lisa Blake revealed that there’s one “game-changing” ingredient she adds to her homemade pesto sauce that provides a “sophisticated spin” on this kitchen staple. A classic pesto sauce made at home requires fresh basil leaves, parmesan, olive oil and garlic cloves, and ideally pine nuts although these can be substituted for different nuts, but Lisa’s secret ingredient is black truffle salt.
Truffles are used in many dishes to provide a mild and earthy aroma and compliment the nutty base of pesto. While pine nuts are traditionally used for the sauce, you can also swap these out for walnuts which are sometimes easier to find and often cheaper.
Lisa said: “To really spruce my pesto up to legendary status, I add in the secret ingredient,” which is just two pinches of black truffle salt.
Making your own sauce at home doesn’t have to be a complicated or lengthy process either, and the ingredients for pesto can simply be blitzed together in a food processor until it’s smooth and creamy.
Lisa also warns that despite the “luxurious” taste of black truffle salt, some might find it overpowering, and a “little bit goes a long way”. To avoid overdoing it, stick to a couple of pinches of salt and adjust based on your preference.
The recipe Lisa shared makes enough for one cup of sauce, which weighs around 240 grams and is ready in minutes. The salt is available at Waitrose for £4.50, or online at iHerb for £9.99.
How to make homemade black truffle pesto sauce
Ingredients
- Half a cup of walnuts
- Two garlic cloves
- Two cups basil leaves
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Himalayan pink salt
- Black truffle salt
Method
In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, salts and pepper and blitz until chopped. Add the basil leaves and stir it again until combined.
Turn the food processor onto the chop setting or low speed and add the olive oil until combined. Add the cheese and combine this too.
Continue tasting and slowly add more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.
