Roast Hazelnut, Kale & Pecorino Pesto with Wholewheat Spaghetti

Ingredients

75g skin-on hazelnuts 

1 big garlic clove, roughly chopped

250g kale, roughly chopped

300g olive oil, plus extra, to serve

75g grated Pecorino, plus extra, to serve

Large squeeze of lemon 

350g wholewheat spaghetti or penne

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6. Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5-6 minutes. Pinch a couple of them; the skins should come off easily. If not, return to the oven for another minute or so, but do keep an eye on them. 

Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil. Add the kale and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender, then scoop out into a colander to drain and add the pasta to the water. Cook the pasta to al dente.

While still hot, place in a tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Place in a food processor or blender along with the garlic and ½ teaspoon of salt. Blitz until you have breadcrumbs. Give the kale a quick squeeze to remove excess water, then add to the nuts and pulse blitz until finely chopped. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Finally, add the parmesan and a squeeze of lemon and give it a quick blast to combine. Check the seasoning. 

Once the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Return to the pan and add as much pesto as you fancy (keep the rest for the following week), adding a few tiny splashes of water so it’s not too dry. Transfer to plates and sprinkle with a little extra Pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.