Spaghetti with nasturtium pesto is a genuine and economical first course, made with nasturtium leaves and flowers and pistachios, along with other classic pesto ingredients like Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic.
It’s been a few years I’ve been planting nasturtium in the garden, and to be honest, even in some pots scattered here and there, because I really like it as an ornamental plant too. Furthermore, it’s very easy to keep it beautiful, and if I say so, who isn’t exactly famous for having the greenest thumb, you can believe it. In any case, nasturtium grows visibly and considering it’s also a great ally for our body, it would be a shame not to use it. In fact, nasturtium is rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and omega-3s and also has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
In short, it is an excellent ingredient for preparing a nice healthy and tasty pasta dish!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients
- 1.76 oz nasturtium leaves
- 5 nasturtium flowers
- 1.76 oz roasted salted pistachios
- 1 clove garlic
- 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1.76 oz Parmesan cheese
- 13.4 oz spaghetti
- to taste salt
- 4 nasturtium flowers (optional)
Steps
To prepare spaghetti with nasturtium pesto, bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and cook the spaghetti.
In the meantime, wash the nasturtium leaves and pat them dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Wash and dry the flowers as well.
Coarsely chop the leaves and place them in a blender along with the flowers, pistachios, garlic clove, Parmesan, and extra virgin olive oil.
Turn on the blender and blend everything until smooth. Adjust the salt if necessary.
Drain the pasta al dente, reserving some cooking water. Return the spaghetti to the pot, add the pesto, a little cooking water, and mix. Serve immediately, garnished with a nasturtium flower.
