Courgette Stalk Pasta, Wild Garlic Pesto And Cobnuts

Roots

Posted by Orion Books

About

SERVES 2

Not only are courgettes prolific fruiters but the
plant itself is a sprawling mass of stalks and
leaves, and this dish is designed to use up all
of those stalks – inspired by Dan Barber, an
American chef whose passion for not wasting
anything is very admirable. I saw that he was
using the courgette stems and why not? There
is such a mass of long, juicy, hollow stalks that,
trimmed up correctly, resemble penne pasta.

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You Will Need (5 things)

  • 50 g Cobnuts
  • 50 g Butter
  • 6 x 50cm long soft Courgette stalks
  • 150 ml Chicken Stock
  • 50 g Wild garlic Pesto

Steps (4 steps, 45 minutes)

  1. 1

    Toast the cobnuts in a pan over a low heat in half of the
    butter until they are nutty and golden. Drain off the fat
    through a sieve and keep warm for later.

  2. 2

    Use a paring knife to remove the stringy fibres from the
    courgette stalks. Nip the fibres between the knife and
    your thumb and peel down the stalks lengthways. The
    whole string should come away neatly. Slice the stalks
    into 5cm long batons to resemble pasta.

  3. 3

    Warm the chicken stock and remaining butter in a
    saucepan, add the stalk ‘pasta’ and simmer for a couple
    of minutes. Allow the stock and butter to glaze over the
    now tender stalks so they are soft and sticky.

  4. 4

    Divide the courgette stalks between two serving bowls
    and spoon over the pesto and toasted cobnuts.