Pasta with Charred Scallion Pesto Recipe

Servings: 4-6

Rachael Ray's Pasta with Charred Scallion Pesto offers a delightful twist on traditional pesto by incorporating charred scallions, which impart a smoky depth to the sauce. Combined with fresh herbs like parsley, basil, and mint, along with toasted nuts and pecorino cheese, this pesto delivers a rich and vibrant flavor. Tossed with your choice of pasta, it's a unique and flavorful dish that's both satisfying and easy to prepare.

Featured in Rachael Ray's Meals in Minutes.

Ingredients

2 bunches scallions, cleaned and trimmed of roots
Olive oil non-aerosol cooking
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, zested and halved
¼ cup pine nuts or pistachio nuts
1 cup packed parsley
1 cup basil
½ cup mint leaves
1 large clove garlic
¾ cup, 2 handfuls, grated pecorino cheese
1/3-1/2 cup EVOO
1 pound pasta – I use gigli, a short cut of pasta that looks like lilies or red onion spaghetti

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water once boiling.

Heat a grill pan or a cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat, spray onions and char 3-4 minutes all over, season with salt and pepper. Char the halved, zested lemon, reserving zest for pesto. Cool the scallions to handle and slice half of them on bias, coarsely chop the rest and add to the food processor with the zest and juice of the charred lemon. Toast a handful of nuts in a small pan while the onions and lemon cook or cool. Add the toasted cooled nuts, green herbs and garlic to the food processor and pulse to fine chop and combine, add cheese and pulse it into the mix. Turn the processor on and stream in EVOO until thick sauce forms, transfer to a large serving bowl.

Cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions. Add about 3/4 cup of pasta water to the pesto.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce and sliced scallions, adjust salt and pepper. Serve room temperature or cold.