STINGING NETTLE PESTO

Stinging Nettle Pesto image

Put these weeds to good use in a sauce that's bursting with so many vitamins and minerals, it could be called a Spring Tonic. It's a perfect complement to mild fish like halibut, grilled chicken, and it gives your minestrone another interesting layer of flavor.

Provided by Leslie Kelly

Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes

Time 15m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

½ cup hazelnuts
6 cups nettles (including stems), or more to taste
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

Place hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until toasted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Wearing gloves, add nettles to boiling water; cook until nettles are tender and still maintain the bright green color, about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let nettles cool and drain.
Place the nettles in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze excess water from the greens.
Combine nettles, hazelnuts, Parmesan cheese, and salt in a food processor fitted with a puree blade. Pulse a few times before turning the processor on. Stream olive oil through the feeding tube while the processor is running until pesto is smooth.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 120.3 calories, Carbohydrate 2.8 g, Cholesterol 4.4 mg, Fat 11.1 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 3.1 g, SaturatedFat 2.1 g, Sodium 237.5 mg, Sugar 0.4 g