Sea Palm Fettuccine with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

from the story Kelp Wanted by Sally Bryson

When you add water to sea palm fronds, they expand from thin, crunchy sticks to long, flat, bands—like fettuccine! You can then use them like pasta with your favorite sauce. In this recipe, the tangy Pumpkin Seed Pesto is the perfect condiment to the darker flavor of sea palm. For a heartier dish, add zucchini or other Italian style vegetables.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 bunch of cilantro
2 tablespoons. olive oil / flax oil
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt to taste

Sea Palm Fettuccine

2 oz. sea palm fronds
3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
2 ½ cups of water
2 red bell peppers (chopped)
(Add other chopped vegetables such as zucchini)
¼ cup pine nuts
Sea salt, lemon to taste.
Cilantro for garnish

To make the pesto:

Puff pumpkin seeds on stove over heat for 1-2 minutes. Combine all pesto ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.

To make the fettuccine:

Freshen sea palm fronds by soaking them in water for 20 minutes (use a large bowl as they expand when re-hydrated.) Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts for 3-4 minutes on the stove. Drain the sea palm. Heat the olive oil or ghee in a saucepan and sauté the sea palm fronds for 3 minutes with the garlic. Add water and simmer until tender (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, sauté the bell peppers and vegetables. When the sea palm fronds are tender, drain and add them to the vegetables. Stir in the toasted pine nuts. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Top with a dollop of pesto and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4