Stinging Nettle Pesto Pasta

If you have nettles growing wild in your backyard or local park then grab your gardening gloves, a pair of scissors, and a bag and get to foraging!

Nettle pesto is so easy to make, it’s almost exactly like making basil pesto except you blanch the nettles first to deaden the stingers. Sauté up some veggies (any veggie variety you’d like!) and boil a pot of noodles and you’ve got yourself an incredible pasta dish! What’s exciting about nettles? It’s free food that you don’t have to slave over a garden in order to grow!

How to harvest and cook stinging nettles

It can feel intimidating making nettle pesto for the first time but it’s very simple! I’ll give you some fast information here to help give you confidence.

• When harvesting nettles wear long pants and long sleeves. Always wear gloves when handling nettles! I prefer gardening gloves over disposable as the stingers can make their way into thin material.
• Harvest young nettles. Don’t harvest nettles once the plant is past its prime and going to seed.
• Don’t eat the flowers!
• Harvest nettle leaves from the top 1/3 of the plant, similar to harvesting basil. Those will be the best tasting leaves! Don’t harvest all the way down the plant.
• Remove the stems.
• Blanching nettles will shrink the volume substantially (think cooked spinach). It may seem like a lot of nettle leaves that you’re using but it shrinks up.
• Blanch for 30 seconds, no more than 45. TOnce you dunk the nettle leaves in the pot of boiling water to blanch, use a wooden spoon to make sure all the leaves are fully submerged and then start your timer. The longer they are in the boiling water the more they will cook down and lose their flavor and nutrients!
• Once the nettles have blanched for 30-45 seconds, strain the water and quickly transfer leaves to an ice bath. After a few seconds, remove leaves from ice bath and gently squeeze the water out. Lay the leaves on a clean kitchen towel and sop up as much moisture as possible. This is important because if the leaves are too wet, the pesto will be watery!

Want to mix up the veggies?

Go for it! I often times just use what I have on hand and it could be very different from the veggies I used in this particular recipe! Red cabbage is a favorite of mine, you could use zucchini, or even carrots. Mix it up and have fun with the varieties!

Are nettles healthy?

Incredibly healthy! Nettles are rich in tons of nutrients including calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and vitamins K, C, D, and A. One cup of blanched nettles has 2.4 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 42% of the recommended daily intake of calcium!¹ Nettles have all the essential amino acids making it a complete protein. (Did you know that all plants are complete proteins, actually?)²³

Many of the nutrients in stinging nettles act as antioxidants in the body, helping to protect the body from free radical damage that causes premature aging, cancer, and other diseases. Stinging nettles have been shown to reduce blood pressure, reduce inflammation, aid with liver health, and help lower blood sugar. ⁴

There is one caveat: the health benefits from eating nettles come from the whole food, you won’t find the same benefits from taking a supplement.

Want to add more protein?

This meal is already pretty protein packed but if you’d like to add more, I love cooking up some Flavorful Tofu and tossing it in!

Stinging Nettle Pesto Pasta

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• Author: The Wandering Veggie
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 people 1x
• Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

This Stinging Nettle Pesto Pasta has a lovely emerald color, fresh green flavors, and is accompanied by a variety of veggies to make a tasty pasta dish!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Stinging Nettle Pesto

• 4.80 oz Fresh nettle leaves, about 6 packed cups (seems like a lot but it shrinks down!)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
• 3/4 cup Walnuts
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Lemon Juice
• 3–4 Tbsp Olive Oil

Veggies

• 1/2 of a Red or Yellow Onion
• 1 1/2 cups Zucchini or Yellow Squash, sliced then quartered
• 2 cups Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups Broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups Asparagus, tough ends removed
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp Dry basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional for spice)

Pasta

• 8 oz Pasta (any kind works!)

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Instructions

Stinging Nettle Pesto

1. Harvest (young) nettles while wearing gloves by cutting stem about 1/4-1/3 of the way down the plant. (Don’t harvest the lower leaves.) Remove and discard stems.
2. Have a large bowl of cold water with ice cubes ready for an ice bath.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and (while still wearing gloves!) add nettle leaves and use a wooden spoon to make sure all leaves are fully submerged. Blanch for 30 seconds, strain, and transfer leaves to the ice bath for a few moments to cool. Scoop the leaves out (you can use your hands now), gently squeezing out water, then place onto a dry kitchen towel and pat dry.
4. Add nettle leaves and the rest of the ingredients to the food processor except olive oil and process until finely chopped, stopping to scrape sides with a spatula. Once finely chopped, remove blade and stir in olive oil with a spatula. Taste pesto and add anything more you think it needs!

Veggies

1. Heat extra large skillet on medium heat and sauté onions covered with a lid until tender. (I use non-stick and a splash of water instead of oil for cooking.) Add in the rest of the veggies and veggie seasoning and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to a boil and cook 7 oz of pasta according to package directions, being careful not to overcook. When noodles are done, strain out water and add back to large pot.
3. Stir pesto into noodles until equally coated. Stir in veggies and enjoy! For bonus points, serve pasta over a bed of greens.

Notes

Stinging Nettle Pesto Pasta with Veggies will keep in the fridge in a well-sealed container for up to 5 days. 

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: pasta
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: American, European

Did you enjoy this Stinging Nettle Pesto Pasta? Leave me a comment below! 🙂

1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169819/nutrients
2. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.cir.0000018905.97677.1f
3. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-protein-combining-myth/#:~:text=The%20myth%20that%20plant%20proteins,scientific%20nutrition%20community%20decades%20ago.
4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/stinging-nettle#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2