Pasta with Carrot Pesto and Tomatillos
The tomatillo is a plant of the nightshade family, related to the cape gooseberry, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos originated in Mexico, and are a staple of that country’s cuisine.
Yields 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 6 tomatillos
- 1 lb. medium-sized shells or orecchiette
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup halved kalamata olives
- Carrot Pesto (recipe below)
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Carrot Pesto:
- 1½ cups chopped carrots
- ½ cup parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup toasted cashews
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove husks from tomatillos and run under water, gently scrubbing to remove any stickiness. Dry well and place on parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.
- Once cool enough to touch, place tomatillos on a cutting board and chop.
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and move pasta to a large bowl.
- Add chopped tomatillos, halved grape tomatoes, and halved kalamata olives to bowl with pasta and toss to combine.
- Add carrot pesto to pasta and toss until well-coated.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley over top.
Carrot Pesto:
- Place chopped carrots, parsley, garlic, cashews, and salt in a food processor and blend until pureed.
- With the food processor still running, slowly pour in extra-virgin olive oil until combined.
- Remove to a separate bowl and stir in parmesan cheese.