Whole grain spaghetti with fennel and tomato pesto
11.5 oz Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti
10 oz fresh fennel
2 lemons
2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano
4.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil
Some celery leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bring lightly salted water to boil.
To prepare the fennel pesto, dice it and blanch in water.
Drain, let cool and put in a mixer with a pinch of salt, fresh basil washed and dried, celery leaves, extra virgin olive oil and some lemon drops.
Process and blend thoroughly, add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Season with salt and pepper.
Blanch for a few seconds a ripe tomato and remove the peel in 4 wedges. If you like, you could dry the tomato peels over a sheet of oven paper and keep them in a dry and hot place.
Cut the tomatoes in wedges, remove the seeds and the liquid that has formed inside and dice the pulp.
Cook the pasta, drain when al dente and dress in a bowl with the fennel pesto.
To make the pesto smoother, add some of the cooking water, if needed.
Top with fresh tomato cubes, decorate with celery leaves.
Garnish / Tip: celery leaves, petals of tomato dried peel. If you’d like, for a special touch, you can also add the celery leaves. Celery top leaves are very tasty. Use of fennel seeds.
