Serves Two

• Salt – 1tsp
• Black pepper – 1tbsp
• Basil – 15 to 20 grams
• Garlic – 3 cloves
• Cashews – 15 cashew nuts
• Pistachios – 10 pistachio nuts
• Parmesan – 100 g
• Olive oil, (though any oil will work) – 150ml
• Pasta (any kind you like – controversially, I favour spaghetti for this) – 200 g

I’m sure pesto pasta holds a special place in the hearts of many of the students who will be reading this. It certainly holds a special place in my heart. Easy, quick, cheap – the sheer smell takes me right back to the early days of fending for myself culinarily. 

I recognise that everybody loves pesto pasta precisely because it is a non-labour-intensive effort in the kitchen –  boil some pasta, stick in some jarred pesto, a voila, dinner done. But I promise that when you make your own pesto for the first time, you will never, ever, buy jarred pesto again. The difference in the flavour profile when making from scratch is an undeniable game-changer for midweek dinner ideas. It goes on pasta, it can go on any veg, really it can go on anything – the stuff is liquid gold.

Firstly, you will need some sort of blender, food processor or pestle and mortar.

If like mine, your blender begins to smell funny and smoke when left on for too long, it may be best to roughly chop the basil, garlic, pistachios and parmesan. For those without trust issues around blenders, do feel free to throw your ingredients in as is. Next, add in 60 ml of oil, before blending and adding the remaining 90ml in gradual interventions.

Keep going until you achieve a deep green pesto, silky in texture. It’s worth running a spoon through to check for any lumps or bumps before moving on to the next step. 

Now,  you could just go ahead and tip your creation on some cooked pasta, grate some cheese and be done with it at this stage. For those looking for a slightly more substantial meal, I would recommend frying off some chopped chicken breast and sliced broccoli, and deglazing with a little white wine before adding your cooked pasta, delicious homemade pesto, a little pasta water and covering your pan until the sauce has cooked down nicely. 

And there you have it, creamy, garlicky and sharp, an elevated student classic which is nutritious, cheap, and most importantly – delicious. 

Tyler Quinn

Studying English and creative writing