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I had lots of extra hazelnuts from the Edamame and Hazelnut Crusted Halibut last week and was trying to figure out what to do with them. Ingredients inevitably end up forgotten, collecting dust until they expire if I don’t use them up quickly. And guess what (lucky timing!) Bon Appétit has an entire section of their website dedicated to recipes with hazelnuts this week! I used a new pasta called Casarecce and loved the way the pesto got into its nooks and crannies. I bought an already cooked rotisserie chicken ($6.99 at Whole Foods) and shredded the chicken breast to add some extra protein to this dish. I used the remaining chicken to make Mexican Chicken Soup which I’ll share with you tomorrow – yum! Do you have a favorite pasta you like to cook with? Any hazelnut recipes to share? I still have about a cup of them left!

Casarecce with Hazelnut-Watercress Pesto
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
2 cups watercress*
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 lemon, zest and juice
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 - 4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 box Casarecce pasta
2 handfuls of French green beans (haricots verts)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ rotisserie chicken breast, shredded
Salt, pepper

Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Add a drop of olive oil.

Place parsley, watercress, hazelnuts, lemon zest and juice, and garlic in a food processor and pulse while streaming in olive oil. Fold in parmesan cheese.

Boil the pasta until just al dente. Add the green beans to the boiling pasta for 1 – 2 minutes until tender. Drain (reserving about a cup of the pasta water). Place the beans and pasta back into the pot. Add the shredded chicken, pasta water, and pesto. Season with salt and pepper.

*If you cannot find watercress, arugula or fresh spinach will work just as well!
**Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.