Serves 2

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Lots of greenery full of flavour and nutrients. The watercress and kale add a lovely pepperiness, offset by the lemon and garlic. Orecchiette pasta is perfect for holding lots of pesto.

Ingredients

50g Unsalted Pistachios, shelled & roasted.

15g Kingfisher watercress

35g Curly kale

1/2 Lemon, juice& zest

1 Ice cube (this will keep the pesto an electric green colour)

120ml Extra virgin olive oil

50g Parmesan cheese

250g Orecchiette Pasta

Salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Combine the pistachios, watercress, kale, lemon zest, lemon juice, ice cube and half of the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times, then lend on a low setting to thoroughly combine. With the blades running slowly, gradually pour in the remaining oil through the feed tube until well blended. Add the parmesan and blend to combine. Taste and season with slat and pepper. Add a splash more lemon juice if you think it needs it. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. If making in advance, cover the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidization.

  2. Cook the pasta in a pan of heavily salted water for a minute less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a mugful of pasta water.

  3. Return the pasta to the pan but don’t return it to the heat. Stir in the pesto (you probably won’t need it all - just enough to coat everything). Add a splash of pasta water to loosen it up - the starchiness in the water will also help bind the sauce to the pasta. Stir for a minute or so until everything has emulsified and the pesto is clinging to the pasta. If the mixture is a bit thick, add more pasta water, little by little.

  4. Serve in bowl, sprinkled with a bit of parmesan and a little olive oil. Crack over some fresh black pepper and eat immediately.