Fettuccine Pasta with Mint and Spinach Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

• 450 g green fettuccine pasta
• 1/3 cup almond needles
• 4 cups spinach
• 2 tbsp. fresh mint
• 1 clove of garlic
• 0.5 cups olive oil
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the rest, and return the pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
3. Combine the almonds, spinach, mint, and garlic in a food processor and process until you have a finely chopped paste. With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil until the pesto is smooth.
4. Add the pesto to the fettuccine pasta along with the pecorino cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to coat the pasta evenly, adding more of the reserved cooking water if the sauce is too thick. Serve sprinkled with more pecorino cheese.