Dandy Celery Leaf Pesto with Orecchiette Pasta
What You Need
- 1/2 cup Dandy celery leaves
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Make It
- To begin, Pick all your Dandy celery leaves and parsley leaves.
- Toast the hazelnuts at 350°F for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a food processor, add the garlic and toasted walnuts. Pulse the ingredients together, add the Dandy celery leaves, parsley, lemon zest and cheeses. Pulse again until all the ingredients are mixed well.
- With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil until the pesto is blended but not emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- In a pot of salted water, boil the orecchiette pasta according to the package. When al dente, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the starchy water and set aside. Toss the pesto sauce and orecchiette pasta together, add some of the pasta water to help mix the pesto into the pasta. Grate more parmesan cheese on top as garnish and serve immediately.
