WHOLEGRAIN SPAGHETTI WITH RUSTIC PESTO, RADISH AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
11.3 oz Barilla wholegrain spaghetti
For the pesto:
1.8 oz radish leaves
1.8 oz rocket
Ā¼ clove of garlic
1 tbsp Pecorino cheese
3 tbsp EVO oil
a pinch of salt
10 red radishes
4.9 oz yellow potato cubes (Jerusalem artichoke)
1 tsp chopped shallots
1 tbsp pine nuts
Ā
Bring the lightly salted water to a boil.
Thoroughly wash the radish and rocket leaves.
Blanch the leaves in boiling water and cool them in water and ice.
Put all the ingredients for the pesto in a blender, and blend until a fairly homogeneous mixture is obtained. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Dice the radishes and Jerusalem artichokes and sautƩ them in a pan with the shallot and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, leaving them crunchy. Lastly, add the pine nuts, a pinch of salt and put them aside.
Cook the pasta in boiling, lightly salted water, drain it al dente and mix it with the pesto in a bowl.
If necessary, add a little bit of the water used to boil the pasta to make the sauce more liquid.
Serve sprinkled with the sautƩed radish and Jerusalem artichoke cubes.
Chef’s TipsĀ
If available, garnish with beet sprouts.
The same recipe can also be made with turnip and beetroot leaves.Ā
Did you know that….
Radish is a type of vegetable originally from Asia, belonging to the brassicaceae family, which has a cultivation period between June and September. There are several varieties and the most commonly used in cooking are red and white radish (used mainly in Japanese cuisine).
Radishes are distinguished by their slightly spicy flavour and for this reason they are mostly used in salads or in dishes together with other vegetables, when the garden produces many vegetables in the spring-time. The leaves of the radish can also be eaten if they are still crunchy and bright green in colour. In fact, not everyone knows this, but the slightly spicy radish leaves are not only ideal for salads, but also for other dishes, such as risottos and sauces.
