Mary Berry has a range of pasta recipes, but the one that stands out is her “perfect” pistou linguine.
The dish is a culinary delight that’s not only speedy but also incredibly simple to throw together.
With a mere 10-minute cooking time, this recipe is the epitome of convenience for those busy nights when you’re craving something fulfilling but don’t want to be trapped in the kitchen for ages.
Suitable for feeding four to six people as a primary dish, the quantity can easily be adjusted to cater to different-sized groups.
Mary explained that pistou is a classic Provencal sauce made of basil, garlic and oil, similar to pesto but without the pine nuts and Parmesan.
Ingredients
300g linguine pasta
25g butter
500g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
75g Parmesan cheese, grated
For the pistou sauce
Four tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Four tablespoons roughly chopped basil
Two tablespoons roughly snipped chives
Two garlic cloves, crushed Juice of one lemon
200g full-fat creme fraiche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Begin by combining herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and creme fraiche in a food processor, blasting it until the herbs are nicely chopped up. Don’t hold back on seasoning, be generous with salt and pepper.
Get your linguine boiling in some salty water following the timings on the packet; remember to keep behind two tablespoons of the pasta water before you drain it.
As the pasta is cooking, melt some butter in a large frying pan, toss in the mushrooms, and sizzle them on high heat for a minute or two.
Then switch to a gentle simmer with the pan covered for three minutes. Remove the lid afterwards, bring back the heat and cook until they’re golden brown and all the liquid has vanished. Finally, scoop the mushrooms into a bowl.
Pour the pistou sauce and the reserved pasta water into the frying pan, heating it until it just begins to bubble. Add the cooked pasta and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the pasta around until it’s fully coated in the pistou sauce and heated through.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle in most of the Parmesan and mushrooms, giving it another toss to combine everything.
Dish up your delicious meal into a bowl and scatter over the remaining Parmesan and mushrooms. Feel free to add more seasoning if you think it needs it.
It pairs perfectly with crusty bread for soaking up the sauce, sauteed veggies or a fresh side salad.
