It’s a treat to find fresh basil in Fiji. It’s not a common item in grocery stores, but a new supermarket opened up that carries it.
I made a fast, hearty and pretty meal using the basil for fresh pesto and tossing it with tagliatelle, another rare find at the new supermarket.
I cheated a bit for the pesto. Instead of using fresh parmesan, which is hard to find in Fiji, I used bottled parm. Same effect–a delicious, subtly salty flavor.
Ingredients:
For pesto:
1 pack fresh basil leaves
Parmesan to taste (I recommend at least 1/2 cup)
olive oil to taste (I recommend at least 1/3 cup)
1 garlic head, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
Bring water to a boil, and cook the pasta (about 7 min.).
While the pasta is cooking, grind the pesto ingredients in a food processor until you get a paste-like consistency.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the pesto in a large pan.
ATB 