91ȱ

Courgette stalk “pasta” with hazelnut and herb pesto and Alpine cheese

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Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
10 to 30 mins
Serve
Serves 2

If you grow courgettes at home this is a great way to use the long hollow stalks.

Ingredients

  • hazelnuts: 100g/3½oz toasted hazelnuts
  • lemon balm: 100g/3½oz mixed herbs (such as bronze fennel, lemon balm, anise hyssop, nasturtium leaves, basil)
  • rapeseed oil: 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • lemon: 50/1¾dz lemon verbena leaves
  • courgette: 6 courgette stalks approx. 50cm/20in in length, stringy parts removed, cut into 3cm/1in diagonal tubes to resemble pasta
  • butter: 50/1¾dz unsalted butter
  • cheesecheese: 50/1¾dz summerfield cheese, or other Alpine-style cheese, such as gruyere, finely grated
  • nasturtium: 1 tbsp nasturtium flowers (optional)
  • 1 tbsp chive flowers (optional)

Method

  1. Place the hazelnuts and herbs in a mini food processor and blend with the rapeseed oil to make a pesto.

  2. Heat 150ml/5fl oz of water in a saucepan over a medium heat and drop in the lemon verbena leaves. Bring to the boil then add the courgette stalks and the butter and cook for 2 minutes.

  3. Divide the courgette stalks between 2 plates and spoon over the buttery cooking liquor. Sprinkle over the Alpine-style cheese and garnish with the flowers, if using.