This dish is sacrosanct.
Each weekend, no fail: the kitchen will be filled with the smell of this delicious combination of toasted pine nuts, powerful garlic, and beautiful basil, and hounded by the recurring battledrum of hardcore mortar and pestle work (Jamie Oliver's in granite is pretty reliable).
Remember to get the best quality basil - the fresher, the better. How to tell? If the leafy bunch looks healthy and if you can smell how potent it is a significant distance away.
Best pasta for this dish is not spaghetti - not even spaghettini. You want full flavor absorption. Harris Farm is where we get our egg-noodle vermicelli (and what a good buy - a 500g pack can last three substantial double serves), which is perfect for this dish. While you're there, grab some pine nuts too.
Ingredients
Vermicelli
Olive oil
Fresh basil
Pine nuts
Garlic
Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
