Rocket & almond Pesto recipe

Chef Antonio’s Tagliatelle with Almond & Rocket Pesto

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Everyone will be familiar with the traditional and quintessentially Italian ‘basil pesto’ but at Ristorante Rinuccini, Chef Antonio loves to create dishes with his special twist on Italian classic flavours! Rocket is a delicious peppery salad leaf, often mixed into salads with goat’s cheese, olive oil and other mesclun leaves. Rocket, known as rucola in Italy, is in abundance in Irish gardens this time of year; however, we get our organic rocket from one of our supply partners, Vincent Grace, who grows it in the nearby town of Callan in Co. Kilkenny. Chef Antonio has created this fantastic dish, ‘Tagliatelle con Rucola é Mandoria’ for you to try at home!

The pepperiness of the rocket along with the subtle flavours of the almond and a good olive oil works so well together. Occasionally Chef Antonio’s will substitute the almonds for walnuts for a stronger nutty flavour. Toasting the nuts for a few minutes really releases their flavour and enhances the overall dish.

We hope you enjoy cooking Chef Antonio’s ‘Tagliatelle con Rucola é Mandoria’.  We would love to see your creations via Twitter or Facebook.

Chef Antonio’s ‘Tagliatelle con Rucola é Mandoria’

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

  • 120g rocket leaves
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves (or to taste)
  • 50g grated parmesan cheese
  • 100 gm almond nuts
  • 150 ml Ristorante Rinuccini olive oil
  • 500 g fresh tagliatelle

 

Method:

Almond and Rocket Pesto 

    • Roughly chop the rocket leaves.
    • Grate the garlic cloves and parmesan
    • Add the chopped rocket leaves, parmesan, garlic and almonds to a food processor along with 150 ml Ristorante Rinuccini olive oil.
    • Blitz for a couple of minutes.
    • Blitz or add additional Ristorante Rinuccini olive oiluntil the mixture reaches your preferred consistency.
    • For a thick pesto add slightly less oil and for a thinner sauce add extra.

 

Fresh Tagliatelle 

      • Fill a large saucepan with seasoned water
      • Bring to the boil
      • Add the fresh tagliatelle
      • Cook on a rolling boil for 2-3 minute until al dente!
      • Stir the pesto into the pasta and enjoy!