Wild Garlic Pasta
Once in a while, it’s nice to push the boat out on your trusty pesto pasta. Our wild garlic pasta with aleppo butter pine nuts is seasonal cooking as its best. As it happens, we’re in the peak of wild garlic season, so this is the perfect time to try out this delicious plant! Similar in taste to its garlic sister, wild garlic has a very distinct flavour that’s far more mellow and grassy. Check out the recipe below.
Serves
Ingredients
For the Topping
<item-todo-done>4 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp plant-based butter<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>40g pine nuts<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lemon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>¼ tsp salt<item-todo-done>
For the Sauce
<item-todo-done>40g garlic - (wild garlic)<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100g baby spinach<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100g cashews<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>250g silken tofu<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100ml plant-based milk<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 tbsp nutritional yeast<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lemon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp za'atar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp salt<item-todo-done>
For the Pasta
<item-todo-done>4 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 courgettes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp capers<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>350g pasta - orecchiette<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>150g plant-based feta<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Frying pan | Saucepan | Blender | Kettle boiled
Prepare the ingredients
- Place the cashews into a bowl and cover with boiling water
- Leave to one side for at least an hour until needed
Make the topping
- zest the lemon into a small bowl and add the olive oil
- Heat a large pan over a medium heat and add the oil and melt the butter
- Add the pine nuts and cook for 3-4 mins until golden
- Stir through the Aleppo pepper, paprika and salt
- Transfer to the bowl and wipe out the pan
Make the base
- Juice the lemon
- Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in the pan and add the wild garlic and lemon juice
- Cook until wilted then transfer to a blender
- Drain the cashews and add to the blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients
- Blend until smooth
- Slice the courgette into thin slices
- Roughly chop the capers
- Heat the olive oil and add the courgette
- Cook until softened and lightly caramelized
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions
- Once cooked, drain the pasta (saving some of the pasta water to mix through later)
Finish the pasta
- Add the pasta to the pan with the pasta water and capers
- Add the sauce and stir everything to coat
- Serve with the crumbled feta and pine nut topping