Cavolo Nero, Walnut and Basil Pesto
It’s safe to say I’m no stranger to a pesto recipe or two…however, there’s always something new to learn or a twist to try! In comes Cavolo Nero, Walnut and Basil Pesto. Perfectly finished with a good crumbling of feta cheese and some dried chilli flakes for extra oomph!
I’m a huge fan of this hearty green leaf, and whizzing it up into a pesto is truly one of my favourite ways to enjoy it. Pesto in general is such a good way of packing nutrients into family mealtimes and it’s just so easy.
As well as being easy (did I mention, easy?), pesto is the ultimate in make-ahead brilliance. It freezes well and unless you’re feeding the 5000, you will always have a lovely batch to come to your dinnertime rescue at a later date!
I went for walnuts instead of pine nuts, I’m not sure why, it just works and I always see walnuts as pretty nutritious which makes me feel good! Pine nuts will work equally well, as would almonds, possibly others, too.
And, in final brutalisation of any kind of traditionalism I’m also leaving out the parmesan or pecorino. I need to make way for an extra large crumble of feta cheese after all!
Sound good? Yes, let’s do this.
Ingredients
1 x bunch of Cavolo Nero (200 grams)
1 x bunch of basil (35 grams)
1 x clove of garlic (peeled)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Seasoning
Approx 100 grams walnuts
3, 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Feta cheese
Dried chilli flakes
Method
Roughly chop the cavolo nero, discard the very hard stalks at the ends.
Blitz all ingredients together in a blender, apart from the seasoning and lemon juice.
Stir in lemon juice and seasoning to taste, if the mixture is dry add more oil.
Stir through freshly cooked pasta, crumble feta cheese over the top and scatter dried chilli flakes.
Serve and enjoy.
My notes and tips
My measurements are vague, generally, I go with a bunch of greens and a small bunch of basil as they come in fairly standard supermarket quantities. Approx 200 grams and 30-35 grams. The Cavolo Nero can drown out the strong taste of the basil, but equally, basil can be overpowering to some! It comes down to personal taste and this kind of cooking is perfect for tasting, testing and perfecting as you go.
You might notice that I don’t cook my Cavolo Nero, I really don’t see the point or the need, but it could be blanched if you prefer. Alternatively, you could always heat the pesto for a few mins in a pan whilst the pasta is doing its thing. Add some starchy pasta water to create more of a sauce-like texture.
The recipe quantities make enough for a few meals, it’s perfect for portioning up and freezing. Defrost at room temperature prior to use.
