Watercress Pesto Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Pulse 5 cups watercress, pine nuts, lemon zest, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add oil and pulse to combine. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water; drain pasta. Return pasta to pot and stir in pesto. Add enough reserved pasta water, a small amount at a time, to coat pasta and make a light sauce. Season with salt and top with remaining watercress.

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, put the watercress and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and blend for a few secs until finely chopped. Add the grated cheese, half the almonds, the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar. Season well, then blend until you have a smooth purée consistency.
• When the linguine is cooked, drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan and pour over the pesto, using a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Stir everything together and divide between 2 bowls. To serve, top with the shaved cheese and remaining almonds.