Lent-friendly recipes: Cardinal Tobin’s Spaghetti al Pesto

Editor’s note: Every week during Lent, Jersey Catholic will feature a recipe perfect for Meatless Fridays submitted by Archdiocesan staff. This week’s recipe is submitted by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R, Archbishop of Newark. 

While serving in Rome for a number of years, Cardinal Tobin would enjoy preparing a simple yet hearty dish of Spaghetti al Pesto. The following is an easy recipe with simple, fresh ingredients for this delicious dish:

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch (roughly 2 cups) of fresh basil, leaves only 

2-3 medium garlic cloves

About ½ cup of pine nuts

Roughly ¾ cup of freshly grated Parmigiano (Parmesan cheese)

About ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil  

Salt

PREPARATION:

Chopping and crushing the ingredients by hand is the best way to enjoy all the flavors. But if you’re short on time, use a blender or food processor. Crush the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil together into a chunky paste. Stir in the grated cheese and salt and mix together well.

Cook the spaghetti or pasta of your choice in salted water as directed. Reserve a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and add it to the pesto for a creamier and smoother consistency.

Drain and serve the pasta with the pesto. Buon appetito!

For more Meatless Friday recipes click here.