Ginger & Spice: Zucchini pesto, feta and antipasto pepper puff pastry parcels

So after the success of my roasted sunflower and red pepper pesto the other week I thought I’d try a zucchini version. I really enjoy zucchini lightly fried, roasted, in soups, salads and pasta bakes and so I was interested to see how it would turn out as the base for a pesto.


The main ingredient in the pesto!

Most pestos feature quite bold flavors as their main ingredient such as basil, sun-dried tomatoes, chili or peppers. Zucchini has a much more subtle flavor due to the amount of flesh, so the result of course was a pesto with a much milder flavor than most. I thought the flavor was too subtle to have with pasta alone but I have found several ways to enjoy this light fluffy pesto.

Light, fluffy and delicious zucchini pesto.

I used it as the sauce in a pasta bake with grilled Mediterranean vegetables with breadcrumbs and grated cheese on the top. It was delicious and a fantastic alternative to the creamy cheesy or tomato sauces we usually use in pasta bakes. I also used it to fill puff pastry parcels with antipasto peppers, basil leaves and feta. They were so light and tasty I thought I’d share the recipe.

 Zucchini pesto, feta and antipasto pepper puff pastry parcel

Ingredients for the pesto

2 zucchinis cut into chunks

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half

Olive oil

Seasoning

1 cup of basil

75g sunflower seeds

¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

Ingredients for the pesto

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180. In a roasting dish place the zucchini and garlic. Season and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven for 20 minutes to roast then remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Zucchini and garlic ready to roast

Roasted zucchini and garlic

In a blender place the basil leaves, sunflower seeds and cheese and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Blend. Then add the cooled zucchini and garlic and season generously and blend again to a smooth paste.

Blended basil, sunflower seeds, olive oil and cheese

Pesto base with zucchinis added

Ingredients for the Zucchini pesto, feta and antipasto pepper puff pastry parcels

2-3 tbsp of pesto per parcel

1 tbsp of antipasto peppers per parcel

1 tbsp crumbled feta cheese per parcel

2 basil leaves per parcel

Seasoning

Sheets of frozen puff pastry

Assembling the parcels

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180. Dust some flower on your work surface and place the puff pastry on top. Allow to thaw enough to be malleable. Cut the puff pastry into whatever shape you like to make parcels. I cut a large triangle that I can fold over to make a smaller triangle parcel.

Spread some zucchini pesto on the puff pastry, top with the antipasto peppers and feta cheese and season. Place a couple of basil leaves on top and fold the puff pastry over to cover the filling. I use a fork on the edges of the pastry to crimp the two layers together. Place on a lightly oiled or non-stick baking tray and bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Take it out when the puff pastry has started to rise and is golden brown. Easy!