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Gruffalo Pesto – Hazelnut & Zucchini Autumn Treat

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Food & Recipes

Gruffalo PestoThis autumn pesto dish was inspired by a great organic veggie grower, Signora Francesca Belfiglio, on a 1-day Italian cookery workshop held at the Abruzzo restaurant B&B, Casale Centurione.  We raided her heaving organic orto (vegetable garden) to fill our baskets with her impressive summer harvest and create her favourite courgette pesto with 0 food miles.  Our selected courgettes were fried in plenty of extra virgin olive oil with garlic till the courgettes gleamed in their squishiness and were then whizzed in a blender, with basil and some lightly toasted pine-nuts mixed in whole afterwards…  Delicious and a dish I tried the very next day in my quest to get green stuff into my little boy.  It worked and has become a quick and easy staple and one of his favourite dishes.

  • Courgette Pesto

    Courgette Pesto

  • Francesca-Belfiglio_edited-1

    Francesca-Belfiglio_edited-1

  • pine-nuts_edited-1

    pine-nuts_edited-1

However pine-nuts can be pricey, and the cheaper Chinese ones can provoke a terrible reaction, as I know from a friend and are not something to be served up to A’s little friends that could experience the same issues. One day we had no pine-nuts but we did have a large bag of sweet hazelnuts new in at the autumn market, I toasted some instead and behold a budget autumn pesto option that still worked its green magic!

Gruffalo pesto ingredients

 

Gruffalo Pesto - Hazelnut & Zucchini Autumn Treat
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
50 mins
 
Loved by my toddler, this autumn pesto is dedicated to one of our heroes, the hazelnut loving little brown mouse in The Gruffalo.
Author: Sam Dunham
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6 Courgettes
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic
  • 8 Basil Leaves
  • 24 Hazelnuts
Method
  1. Cut the zucchini into quarters and then into chunky pieces and fry in a bath of olive oil with the garlic. It is this which emulsifies the sauce so don't skimp on this as it is sooooo good for you!
  2. Shell and deskin your hazelnuts if they're fresh by putting then in a bowl of boiling water after removing the shell. If you have bought them in a packet put put them into directly into a heavy bottomed pan to toast.
  3. In a jug pour your zucchini mixture, add your hazelnuts and basil and whizz with a hand blender till smooth.
  4. Dress your chosen pasta with this
Nutritional Information
Serving size: 4
3.2.2124

© Photographs: Sam Dunham | Lucciola.me, All Rights Reserved

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Sam Dunham

Sam Dunham

Freelance Web Stategist, Content Manager & Copywriter at SamanthaDunham.me
Sam is a very lucky Mid Life Mum to Little A who is 5 and is happiest when they are out exploring the world together. LifeinAbruzzo is her other blog with over 3000 fans on Facebook, and she has acted as a consultant on this Italian region to the BBC, Channel 4, as well as The Guardian. She is the co-founder of the Abruzzo Blogger Community and Let's Blog Abruzzo.
Sam Dunham

@midlifemumme

MidLifeMum blogger, freelance #travel copywriter #food activist & creator @lifeinabruzzo #midlifemumme
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One Response to “Gruffalo Pesto – Hazelnut & Zucchini Autumn Treat”

  1. November 8, 2013

    Daniel Campbell Reply

    The Gruffalo theatre show is returning to London for those that live there.

I'd LOVE to hear what you think?! Cancel reply

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