Eat it projects

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Rocket pesto

The more traditional version of this delicious, fragrant pasta sauce is made with basil. But basil isn’t so easy to grow in England, whereas rocket thrives. The peppery flavour of rocket leaves get stronger as they get bigger and if you grew it last year you may find rocket plants appearing ‘self seeded’ in your beds throughout the year. Pesto is good on any pasta but particularly so on spaghetti!

Ingredients per pair of children

A good handful (about 100g) rocket leaves
A few stalks of parsley (if you have them)
1 small clove of garlic
4 tablespoons of olive oil
25g pine kernels (or walnuts which are cheaper)
1 tablespoon of grated fresh
parmesan or peconino
100g of pasta
Freshly grated black pepper
Pinch of salt

01Pick the leaves from the stalks of the parsley, wash and dry well.
02Chop the garlic finely.
03Grate the cheese on the small holes of the grater.
04The fast way to make this is to whizz the rocket leaves, parsley, garlic, nuts, salt and pepper in a food processor, adding the olive oil as you go long. However, the fun (but hard work) way is either to chop the leaves as finely as you can or to pound these ingredients to a paste with a pestle and mortar.
05Whichever way you choose, add the olive oil gradually and then mix in the grated cheese.
06Cook the pasta and stir in the pesto whilst its hot.

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