This recipe goes well with any shape of pasta, though here I used fettuccine and tossed it with roasted asparagus, peas, lemon zest, parmesan and tucked in a nice piece of burrata for good measure.
Ingredients
- 6 cups stinging nettle leaves (no stems), steamed for one minute and drained
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- 1 Tbsp red miso
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup light olive oil
- salt and pepper
About this recipe
I prefer making nettle pesto vegan-style, as you can always add parmesan to the final dish. Walnuts are the perfect earthy complement to nettles and replace the pine nuts in a traditional pesto. This recipe goes well with any shape of pasta, though here I used fettuccine and tossed it with roasted asparagus, peas, lemon zest, parmesan and tucked in a nice piece of burrata for good measure. If you can’t find burrata, ricotta is a nice alternative.
Preparation
Add nettles, basil, garlic, walnuts, miso and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse until barely blended. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is well blended but a bit of texture remains. Season with salt and pepper and add more lemon juice if desired.
Pesto can be tossed with hot pasta, drizzled on top of eggs or used in any number of ways. A little goes a long way, so freeze excess in small containers for up to three months.
