Garganelli with dandelion pesto

Garganelli is an egg pasta formed by rolling pasta squares around a rod. Any short pasta, such as penne, will do.

Servings: 6

Ready Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb (500 g) garganelli

4 cups packed dandelion greens, stems removed

1 and 1/2 cups shaved pecorino romano or Parmesan

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup packed flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 tsp chili flakes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Place the dandelion greens, 1 cup of pecorino, olive oil, parsley, garlic and chili flakes in a food processor. Blend until slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

Place pasta in large pot of salted boiling water and boil until al dente (9 to 10 minutes). Drain immediately, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss pasta with pesto, stirring in a little cooking water if it seems dry. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed.

Serve garnished with the remaining 1/2 cup of shaved pecorino.