Watercress Pesto Pasta

Fresh, spicy watercress pesto adds flavor and fun to a simple pasta dish, and sauteed mushrooms and peppers make it even more delicious. (Photo source: Ella Syverson)

| Yield: 6 servings | Time: 60 minutes |

Ingredients

Watercress Pesto

½ cup olive oil

½ cup walnuts

½ cup parmesan or vegan parmesan

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

4 cups fresh watercress or 2 cups blanched watercress (You can also use basil for a traditional pesto)

Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta

1 pound box of fettuccine pasta (or another variety of your preference)

1 bell pepper

3 cups mushrooms, any variety

1 cup kalamata olives

Olive oil for sauteing vegetables

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

For the watercress pesto

Wash watercress in cold water and strip leaves from stems. If watercress is foraged and you are unsure of the water quality it came from, blanch one minute in boiling, salted water, then quickly strain and rinse in cold water.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse or blend until thoroughly combined. You can also do this by hand with a mortar and pestle.

For the pasta

Boil water in a large pot with a couple pinches of salt. While water is heating, thinly slice bell pepper and mushrooms. Add pasta to boiling water and continue to stir regularly.

In a large pan, add a generous splash of olive oil and saute mushrooms on medium heat, stirring regularly. While they cook, pit the olives if necessary and slice them in half. When mushrooms begin to get soft, add the peppers and more olive oil if necessary. Continue to stir regularly.

When pasta is soft, drain water and turn off heat. Stir in 2 cups pesto and the sliced olives. When the peppers are soft all the way through and beginning to brown, stir the peppers and mushrooms into the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and garnish with extra parmesan/vegan parmesan if desired.