It might seem like a strange combination of flavours but using strawberry tops in a green pesto adds a subtle yet sweet freshness to this dish.
They're completely edible and usually end up in the bin so we’ve whizzed them into a flavoursome pesto and served it alongside gluten-free pasta with chard, hazelnut and bacon lardons. It's a great way to reduce your food waste at home.
When next preparing strawberries, remember to bag and freeze the tops for up to a month, ready to whizz into smoothies, soups and pesto (defrost first).
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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Cal/Serv:
600
Ingredients
50g
skin-on hazelnuts
50g
Parmesan, roughly chopped, plus extra, finely grated, to serve
2
garlic cloves
200g
chard, stalks and leaves separated and roughly chopped
40g
strawberry tops, from roughly 12 strawberries (including the white part of the berry)
finely grated zest and juice 1/2 lemon
4Tbsp.
cold-pressed rapeseed oil
300g
dried, or 600g fresh, gluten-free pasta, we used Dell Ugo
100g
bacon lardons, see GH TIP
Directions
Step 1Toast the hazelnuts in a small frying pan over low heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant. Tip into a food processor and set the pan aside.
Step 2Add the Parmesan, garlic and chard stalks to the processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the chard leaves, strawberry tops, lemon zest and juice, oil and plenty of seasoning. Whizz until smooth, adding a little water to thin, if needed.
Step 3Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, put the reserved pan over medium-high heat and cook the lardons, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp.
Step 4Drain the pasta and return to the pan over low heat. Scrape in the pesto and stir to coat and warm through. Check seasoning.
Step 5Divide pasta between 4 bowls and sprinkle over the lardons and some finely grated Parmesan. Serve.
GET AHEAD
Make pesto up to a day in advance. Cover and chill. Complete recipe to serve.
GH TIP
Choosing higher welfare pork (check packaging or ask our butcher) and reducing the amount, is a more sustainable way to enjoy meat.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
