Hazelnut Pesto Pasta

You can use this pesto in lots of different ways and change it up with wild garlic if you fancy some foraging. Simple and a lovely fresh flavour.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Cooking/Preparation time: 30 mins

  • 400g wholewheat spaghetti

  • Salt

Hazelnut pesto:

  • 150g hazelnuts (with or without skins)

  • 80g fresh basil OR 60g wild garlic and 20g fresh basil

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

  • 200ml olive oil

  • 1 tbsp syrup (eg maple or agave) – optional

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Optional serving suggestions: fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, vegan Parmesan or Greek-style cheese

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.

  2. Heat a panful of water for the pasta.

  3. Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Be careful they don’t burn.

  4. If the hazelnuts are skinned, go to stage 5. If not, put them in a clean tea towel and rub them together to remove the skins.

  5. Place the hazelnuts in a blender and then pulse until roughly chopped but not smooth.

  6. Add all the other pesto ingredients into the blender and pulse, but leave fairly chunky.

  7. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water, then simmer according to instructions on the packet.

  8. Drain the spaghetti and stir the pesto into the warm pasta.

  9. Serve with optional serving suggestions.

Maryanne Hall, Viva! Vegan Recipe Club www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk

Instagram: @veganrecipeclub

Jade ThorneComment