I love beetroot, carrot, potato, parsnip, butternut squash, kale but I’m getting a little tired of these winter vegetables that has been feeding us for the last 6 months. I want spring vegetables now… sorrel and spinach are available at the markets – I already eat them – but I’m longing for the spring (and summer!) vegetables and fruits to start appearing. Like asparagus, peas, strawberries, raspberries… Oh how I miss them!
I don’t even know how the agriculture can accomodate to this extremist weather. This winter has just been too long. But there are signs that our hope is not superfluous. The amount of daylight is getting longer, the temperature is rising and we can see the sun shining through the big, fluffy, white clouds.
“The most beautiful springs are those that come after the most horrible winters!”
– Mehmet Murat Ildan
This broccoli pesto pasta dish can be a very easy to make weeknight meal. Although broccoli is not very seasonal I wanted to use another vegetable to make a delicious meal that reminds me of summer.
Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Ingredients (serves 3-4)
– 350 g broccoli, peel stalk, then stalk and florets chopped
– 50 g walnut
– 40 g grated parmesan
– 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
– 3 cloves garlic, peeled
– juice of 1/2 lemon
– salt, pepper
– 350-400 g pasta
Method
In a dry non-stick pan toast walnuts for 4-5 minutes and set aside.
In a medium sized pan bring water to a boil. Add salt into the boiling water and blanch the broccoli stalks and florets for 2 minutes. With the help of a drain spoon, take out the broccoli and set aside. Use the same water to cook the pasta al dente. Drain (in the meantime save about 100-150 ml cooking water) and set aside.
Add 200 g blanched broccoli (save a few florets), toasted walnuts, grated parmesan, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice to your food processor and pulse until it gets smooth. Pour this creamy pesto mixture over the cooked pasta, add a bit of cooking water and toss until combined. Add the leftover broccoli florets and serve immediately with a handful of grated parmesan and a drizzle of lemon juice over the top.
