OK so I cheated, I hold up my hands and admit that I shop bought the lemon pesto (quelle horreur!), but I was so intrigued by this ‘Sainsbury’s own’ that I tried, it, and wasn’t disappointed.
But before we get down to the recipe, a little cultural sojourn…..
One of the major changes that I have had to adjust to coming back to the UK has been the weather!
It is not due to lack of time or inclination that I have not flooded ‘A Taste of Two Cities’ with photographs of the glorious Liverpool architecture, more the lack of ultra violet rays……. I have seriously only seen one proper sunny day since I arrived in mid December! And most days I am under a blanket of cloud of ’50 shades of grey’!
And puts me in mind of a song that I used to love from the band ‘Lindisfarne’ ‘January song’ as I am finding myself in a bit of a dilemma with all these changes…….
I’m feeling rather sorry For a man I know
The world he holds in trembling hands Is asking where to go
His life is passing by behind his tired eyes
Like the colours in the January skies
And love is such a small word For something that is so vast
But in it lies the future The present and the past
And speaking now of changes I sometimes feel the fear
That the reason for the meaning Will even disappear
I need you to help me carry on
You need me need you need him need everyone……….
January Skies over Liverpool
But my family and friends are supplying me with all the sunshine that I need, so this is why I have chosen to defy the weather and cook a sunny pasta dish for my lovely daughter and son-in-law this weekend……..
Ingredients
Serves 2
120 grams of spaghetti
1 tablespoon of lemon pesto
1 tablespoon of crème fraiche
A handful of walnuts broken into small pieces
6 – 8 Chestnut mushrooms finely sliced
½ a jar of artichoke hearts (or quarters) in olive oil
6-8 green olives
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
Freshly ground chilli flakes (optional)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve
Method
Cook the pasta in salted water
Cut the artichokes into ‘bite-size’ pieces
Quarter the olives
Lightly toast the walnuts nuts in a non-stick pan, taking care not to brown and set aside
Mix the pesto with the crème fraiche
Drain the pasta and return to the pan and add the pesto and mix well, then add the walnuts, artichokes and olives
Quickly fry the mushrooms in very hot butter ‘top’ the pasta with them at the last minute
Serve with Freshly ground black pepper and parmesan cheese and a little ground chili flakes
Ideally this would be a summer dish and use pine nuts in place of walnuts.
A Taste of two Cities 
Have to try this! 👏👏👏👏👏👏
That looks absolutely gorgeous …. note to self ‘get hold of lemon pesto or understand how to make it very soon’ …. I’m glad you are settling back into UK life – I always feel so foreign when I am there now but it is nothing to how foreign I feel here in the US. They don’t understand a word I’m saying … what’s Massachusetts for une vache espagnole 😉
ha ha ha – I still feel a bit of a fish out of water from time to time and after being surrounded by discreet Parisians, Liverpudlians are SO loud – especially the young women……
I had a bit of a panic attack while out for a meal with friends on Lark Lane (let’s go there), but managed to hide it as everyone is being so kind and I am enjoying catching up with old friends and spending time with my daughter – I hasten to add that my friends are not loud………..xx