Nettle Pesto
Bright green fresh nettle leaves make a light, floral nettle pesto with plenty of garlic and parmesan cheese. Swirl it into pasta, or add it to toast, quiche, and more.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons pine nuts
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup cooked nettles
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Squeeze lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To cook the nettles: Place leaves in a pot of salted, boiling water for three minutes or so, drain and squeeze dry. Coarsely chop.
- In a food processor, combine the pine nuts and garlic. Process to chop coarsely. Add about half of the nettles and process to chop coarsely. Add the remaining nettles and olive oil and process until a thick green sauce forms. If the sauce is too thin, add more basil; if it is too thick, add more olive oil.
- Add the cheese and dash of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Process briefly. Pour into a glass jar or other container and top with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent the surface from discoloring. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Calories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 409IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 187mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!