Wild garlic pesto
This recipe is for pesto made from wild garlic, or ransoms, which is in season in the early Spring in the UK. The pesto is pungent, delicious and made from wild garlic foraged from the woods, or Allium triquetrum which is what I have growing in my garden.
You can use the pesto to dress pasta, drizzle on a salad or toast and all the usual ways pesto is used.
It’s super easy too, just throw everything into a food processor and whizz until it’s blended, smooth and emulsified a bit.
What does wild garlic look like?
Wild garlic, which you are likely to find in local woods, starts to show in the early Spring, in late March and early April. It grows and flowers until the end of May, after which its leaves and stem decay and become part of the soil. The plants in my garden have beautiful white flowers that have masses of flavour and last for weeks.
Wild garlic has much broader, flat leaves
Wild garlic growing in the woods
I am lucky enough to have a bit of garden, and in part of it, I have allowed a patch of Allium triquetrum to spread (it would take over if you let it – I have to weed out lots of new plants all over the garden each Spring). They are still in season at the moment and in many woods, free for the picking.
This is Allium triquetrum, growing in my garden. They have fleshy, triangular leaves and smell strongly of garlic. Easier to spot in the woods when they have the pretty white flowers too
What you need to make wild garlic pesto
- a big handful of wild garlic, or in this case the Allium triquetrum from my garden
- some good olive oil, or failing that, any oil that you have
- fine grated parmesan cheese, or you could use cheddar
- a big handful of nuts, I like to use walnuts, but any nuts that you fancy adding will work, or indeed leave them out altogether
- about half an onion, leek or shallots
- a little salt and sugar
How to make this wild garlic pesto recipe
- Wash the garlic to remove any dirt and grit
- put all the ingredients into a food processor bowl
- whizz everything together until smooth and a little emulsified
- if you don’t have a food processor, chop everything finely, then bash it all together in a pestle and mortar, or a big bowl using the end of a rolling pin
Be prepared for the whole house, and everyone in it, to smell strongly of garlic. For a small plant it packs an awfully big punch! I have given pots of this to my daughters and a couple of friends, they have all loved it, and mentioned the strong smell – you have been warned!
Post originally written in early August 2013, rewritten and new images added May 2023
What changes can I make to this wild garlic pesto recipe?
- you could use any nuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds or peanuts, or anything else.
- or I none at all to keep the cost to a minimum or to create a nut free version
- use any allium. So leek, shallots, spring onions, red or white onions
- change the parmesan to cheddar
- if push came to shove, I bet it would still taste good using just cheap cooking oil and the garlic, and nothing else.
Ingredients
- 100 g wild garlic flowers and all
- 50 g onion chopped
- 50 g walnuts
- 200 ml olive oil
- 50 g parmesan finely grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Wash the garlic to remove any grit or dirt
- Chop the onion
- Put all the ingredients into a food processor bowl100 g wild garlic, 50 g onion, 50 g walnuts, 200 ml olive oil, 50 g parmesan, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar
- Whizz everything together until smooth and a little emulsified
- If you don’t have a food processor, chop everything finely, then bash it all together in a pestle and mortar, or a big bowl using the end of a rolling pin
- Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze
Equipment Needed
Notes
- you could use any nuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds or peanuts, or anything else.
- or I none at all to keep the cost to a minimum or to create a nut free version
- use any allium. So leek, shallots, spring onions, red or white onions
- change the parmesan to cheddar
- if push came to shove, I bet it would still taste good using just cheap cooking oil and the garlic, and nothing else.
no, everything just goes in the blender
Hello. Trying to make this for dinner tonight. Do the nuts have to be boiled first or can they go in the blender raw with the rest of the ingredients? Thank you!
Pauline – when I made the first batch it was quite a lot and it was in the fridge for several weeks before I finished it. Other than that it would freeze
How long does the pesto keep for?
I can confirm the pesto is delicious. I have also tried making wild garlic butter and wild garlic soup. Both are very good. The soup is just an onion and potato sweated in butter, then you add a mixture of chicken stock and milk, then the wild garlic (about 150g) for a couple of minutes and liquidise. It’s good rather thin and even better with cream.
Well done on the living below the line, especially on making it so healthy with no processed meats.
Could I please request some more of this as it’s sooooo lovely! Even Lesley loved it! And she’s only 5, but she does love her garlic! Thankyou! xx