Ever heard of purple basil? I hadn’t until my amazing farmer brought me some just yesterday. It makes a wonderful pesto to dress your favorite pasta, and a different spread for your cheese plate. While I was blending it, I thought it would turn out dark and rather unappetizing in color – I had to close my eyes for a bit to taste it to reset the senses. Folks, it actually is one of the best pesto I’ve ever had! Nutty, rich and almost spicy.
Looking forward to make a colorful caprese, infuse vinegar and why not maybe a sorbet?
Ingredients for Purple Basil Pesto
For 2 people
- 1.8 oz of purple basil (put some small leaves aside for décor)
- 1.4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
- 1 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp of pine nuts
- 0.4 cup of EVOO
- 3 grains of coarse salt
- 5 oz of Gemelli Pasta
Directions
- Fill a pot with 2/3 of lightly salted water and bring it to boil.
- Gently wash the basil, pulling all the stems off and preserving only the leaves. Allow them to dry on a towel, or pat them gently with towel paper.
- Put the pine nuts, garlic, cheese and half of the oil in the chopper and work them at full speed ’til you get a creamy mixture.
- Add the basil leaves and work at full speed until you see that the leaves are completely crushed and incorporated.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook “al dente”.
- Take a bowl, pour some pesto in and stir in a few tablespoon of boiling water.
- Drain pasta, pour it in the bowl and mix it so to cover the pasta evenly.
- Plate it up, decor with some basil leaves and enjoy!
Pasta&Co. 
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