Trofie fresh pasta with celery and pistachios pesto

• 10 minutes to prepare • 5 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

10 MINUTES RECIPE

Intense aroma, few calories (only 20 kcal per 100 grams), fullness of water, richness in potassium and vitamin A: all properties in favor of lightness and weight control. These are the characteristics that make celery one of the most popular foods for dieting.
Still little is known about the beneficial properties of this vegetable, which is - among other things - capable of hindering fat absorption and opposing water retention.

Today we propose a dish where celery is the protagonist.  It is a super-fast, relatively light, healthy dish in which celery, together with pistachios (left from last week tart's recipe) and basil, is featured in a flavored, odorous pesto. To tickle your taste-buds with some sourness, both lemon's zest and juice is also used.
Consistently with our Tuesdays habit, we will be ready in just 10 minutes!!!

Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

400 g Trofie fresh pasta
1 celery heart
60 g shelled pistachios
1 sprig fresh basil
1 lemon
salt and pepper
EVO oil

1. Boil water in a pot, and, once it starts to bubble, add salt
2. Clean the celery: cut both ends off the bunch and separate the stalks. Rinse the stalks thoroughly under running water and dry them with paper towels. Peel the back of the stalks with a vegetable peeler and dice the stalks into pieces
3. Place celery pieces in a blender together with pistachios (keep some pistachios aside for dish decoration) and 4 tablespoons of EVO oil. Add the zest of the lemon and half of its juice, the basil leaves, a pinch of salt and blend to obtain a smooth and creamy pesto
4. Boil Trofie fresh pasta in salted water. Check the cooking time reported on the package: usually fresh pasta is ready in about 5 minutes
5. Drain pasta al dente and season it with celery and pistachios pesto. Serve hot with some pistachios and freshly ground pepper on top

In the following, Nutrition Facts of this dish are indicated. Data is provided per serving.

I'm afraid of losing my obscurity. Genuineness only thrives in the dark. Like celery.
(Aldous Huxley)