Cobnut Pesto Pasta
Serves 3-4 as main course, 8 as a side dish at a party
Equipment
- You will also need a food processor for the pesto
Ingredients
- 100 g cobnuts in the shells
- bunch basil save some for scattering
- 3 clove garlic
- 100 g parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 100 ml olive oil
- 250 g pasta
- 75 g olives I used green but black is fine too
- 75 g peas frozen - or green beans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170c / gas mark 3.
- Remove the husks from the cobnuts if you haven't already done so. Score the shells with a sharp knive and bake in the oven for around 15-20 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly then carefully remove the shells. I found some came off very easily, others were a total pain. The nuts are quite fragile but they'll get blitzed in the recipe anyway.
- Put the shelled cobnuts, garlic cloves, cheese and half of the olive oil in the food processor and blitz. Drizzle in the remaining olive oil until you are happy with the consistency.
- Can be used immediately or keeps several days in the fridge. Can also be frozen.
- If using the pesto in pasta salad, cook your pasta, drain and dress with a little olive oil. Prepare the other ingredients you are adding i.e. cook your frozen peas, slice your olives and toss into the still warm pasta. Scatter over some torn basil leaves.
Notes
Please note as parmesan contains animal rennet, to make this dish vegetarian you'll need to replace parmesan cheese with a vegetarian hard cheese alternative.