Spaghetti with rocket pesto

Hi guys!

It's monday and i'll share another meat free recipe with you. As the sun has finally found its way to Switzerland the past few days and you can almost smell spring, I wanted to try a rather light, fresh and summery recipe. I came across the following recipe for rocket pesto in Donna Hay's latest book "simple dinners". Here's the recipe:

400g (14 oz) spaghetti
120g (4.2 oz; about 4 cups) rocket 
1 garlic clove
80ml (2.5 fl.oz; 1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil 
40g (1.4 oz) pine nuts
30g (a little less than 1/2 cup; 1 oz) grated parmesan
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
salt and pepper

1) Bring water to boil, season with salt and cook the spaghetti according to packet directions, normally between 8 and 10 minutes. 

2) Cut the rocket in small strips, press the garlic. Toss in a bowl with the olive oil, grated parmesan and lemon zest. 

3) Heat a pan over high heat and roast the pine nuts for about two minutes until browned all over. Be careful when toasting them as they'll turn brown really fast at one point. 

4) Add the pine nuts, season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain the spaghetti and mix with the pesto. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 7 minutes
Total preparation time: about 15 minutes, depending on how fast you can bring the pasta water to the boil. 
© Copyright: Donna Hay "Simple Dinners", p. 46.

Here's how mine looks:

I know I've said this a few times, but I really really love this recipe - I am a huge rocket lover, though. The rocket adds a nice, peppery note that beautifully contrasts the saltiness of the parmesan, creaminess of olive oil and hint of acidity of lemon zest. It certainly is a summer-evening dish, but I love how the bright green lights up my kitchen on the first days of spring already. This is not your typical pesto as the rocket is cut into fine strips instead of being mixed into a purée-like paste, but I love this for a change and you are getting every single level of flavour out of this dish nevertheless.

Have fun trying and maybe you'll get to enjoy the first rays of spring sunshine as well!