Spring Nettle Pesto Pasta - Seasonal Recipe

Spring Nettle Pesto Pasta

🌍 Seasonal, Spring Difficulty: ●●●○○

Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) have been eaten across Europe since the Iron Age; in Scotland and Scandinavia they were boiled as a "hunger green" in lean springs before other crops appeared.

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) pasta (linguine or trofie work well)
• 150g (5 oz) young stinging nettle tips (use gloves to handle)
• 40g (⅓ cup) toasted walnuts or pine nuts
• 60g (½ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• 2 cloves garlic
• 80ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and black pepper
• Extra Parmigiano to serve

Method

1. Step 1 — Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Blanch nettles 2–3 minutes — this neutralises the sting. Drain, cool in ice water, squeeze out moisture firmly.
2. Cooking — Cook pasta in the same pot until al dente. Reserve 120ml (½ cup) pasta water before draining.
3. Step 3 — In a food processor, combine nettles, nuts, garlic, and Parmigiano. Pulse to a rough paste.
4. Step 4 — With motor running, stream in olive oil until smooth. Add lemon juice; season generously.
5. Tossing — Toss drained pasta with pesto, adding splashes of pasta water to loosen until sauce coats each strand.
6. Serving — Serve with extra Parmigiano.

Tags: pasta, young stinging nettle tips, toasted walnuts or pine nuts, parmigiano-reggiano, garlic · Source: Brittani's Almanac