nettle pesto
Traditional pesto is one of my all-time favourites. I love spooning into pasta, dipping bread in it, spreading it in sandwiches, and, basically, eating it anyway I can think of. I love the aromatic flavour that the basil gives to the paste, but I also love how you make pesto out of any green leaf.
One of the best variations, in my opinion, is this pesto made from stinging nettles. I also love the fact that it gives those pesky plants a bit of a purpose. Most of our connection with stinging nettles will probably revolve around being stung, so I’m here to try to shift the balance a little more towards the positive. The recipe below can be used for any pesto, just sub out the nettles for your chosen green.
This recipe tastes more ‘green’ than a traditional pesto and is definitely not as fragrant, in that herby, aromatic way. But, that does not mean it isn’t delicious. Stinging nettles have a lovely flavour, just make sure you wear gloves when collecting them, and you blanch them first to remove their sting.
for the pesto
100g stinging nettles
30g pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
40g good quality parmesan
150ml good olive oil (approx.)
method
Start by blanching the nettles. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then carefully place the nettles into it and boil for around 90 seconds.
Remove the nettles from the water and immediately dunk them into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process.
Once cooled, take the nettles out of the water and dry them on a bed of paper towels. You can also place them on a tea towel, roll it up, then twist either end in opposite directions to drain out the water.
Whilst they are drying, toast up your pine nuts. Heat a frying pan (with no oil) and cook the pine nuts until they start to let off a scent and turn a little golden.
The rest of this process will be in a pestle and mortar. If you don’t have one, feel free to use a food blender but follow the same process and order.
Start by adding the pine nuts and grinding until they all break up (a couple of pulses in the blender).
Next, roughly chop the garlic and add it to the pine nutes. Pound it until it breaks apart.
Grate your cheese and chop your nettles, then add both (and the salt) to the mix.
Mash everything together until it all becomes fairly uniform in terms of consistency. If you are blending it, give it a few pulses until it’s all combined but not a smooth paste.
Add the olive oil tablespoon by tablespoon until you hit the right consistency. The measurement above is probably the maximum you would use for a pasta sauce, but you could add more or less depending on what you’re using it for.
