Nettles are one of those ingredients for which you know they are healthy but you are not entirely sure if you like them. Although it stitches and is not very friendly to you while you pluck them and wash them, believe me it is all worth it. Except being packed with minerals and vitamins, it is great for your spring meals because it lets you combine it in so many ways – throw them in the vegetable soup then mix them in, put them in your green smoothie with banana, make omelet with them etc.This time I turned them into pesto. You can use this pesto for your favorite pasta dish, mix it in risotto, or spread it on slice of toasted bread. If you avoid carbs and want a gluten-free meal, this recipe might be something for you! Namely, on a Croatian market you can find dried pumpkin noodles, which are cut in tagliatelle shape for which they are even a visually perfect replacement for pasta. If you can’t get them, use raw zucchini noodles or use pesto in some of the mentioned combinations. Enjoy!
PUMPKIN NOODLES WITH NETTLES PESTO, FAVA BEANS AND MINT
(serves 4 as first dish or 2 as main)
Ingredients:
100g dried pumpkin noodles
400g unpeeled fava (broad) beans (approx 200g cleaned)
1 baby garlic
good handful of fresh mint
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
olive oil to taste
for pesto:
a bunch of fresh nettles (approx 150 g)
50g walnuts
50g (approx 1/4 cup) olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Wash nettles in the water twice, using hand gloves. Boil about a liter of water in a pan, then blanch them for 30 sec. Immediately wash blanched nettles under cold running water and put them on the board. Leave to cool then cut coarsely.
- Transfer nettles in the food processor and make pesto. Add walnuts and lemon juice to it, and then slowly add olive oil while mixing to get a nice creamy texture. If it seems dry, add more olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil water, add vinegar to it, then cook fava beans for 8-10 minutes, depending on their freshness. Drain them, then pour some olive oil over them and put aside while you prepare the rest.
- Boil another pot of water, then add dried pumpkin noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes. I like to cook them better through so I cook them for full 5 minutes. If you like them more al dente, adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Drain pumpkin noodles, and while they are still hot, put pesto in them, and mix it all good through.
- Serve noodles with fava beans and sprinkle with finely chopped garlic and fresh mint.
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