Savoury Italian Pesto Porridge

Ciao amici! This recipe came to me inspired by my Milano adventure! This is the second time I tried savoury oats and even though you might find savoury oats odd and a bit scary, I'd really reccomend you give it a go! For me it's the perfect winter comfort food. And a nice variation to salads. This porridge is full of all the good Italian flavours that I love so much, the zucchini makes the porridge super creamy and the pinenuts and crispy garlic pieces add a nice bite! 

I'm using super good pesto Genovese that I brought from Italy. Good pesto's are a little more expensive but for me the taste is worth it. Also, the cheaper pesto's are usually a bit unhealthy as they have added sugar and use cheese, nuts and oil of inferior quality.

The same goes for the olive oil, only add it to top your porridge if it's a good quality one, this not only adds amazing flavour but also has many health benefits!

Try it out and enjoy!

Love,

Fleur

Time: 

Prep. time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons pinenuts
• 30 gr oats (approx. 4 tablespoons)
• approx. 150-200 ml water (depending on how thick you like your oatmeal)
• 1/4 zucchini
• 6 medium sized mushrooms
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (you can use dried as well)
• small bunch of fresh thyme (you can use dried, I prefer fresh)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon good quality pesto (or homemade)
• few cherry tomatoes
• 2 sundried tomatoes
• 20 gr freshly grated parmezan cheese 
• fresh basil leaves 
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon colled press extra virgin oil
• seasalt & pepper (to taste)

Method:

1. Put a frying pan on low to medium heat (no need to add oil, nuts have enough fat of themselves) and toss in your pinenuts, stir occasionally and fry them until golden brown, keep an eye on them while you continue cooking and make sure they don't burn!
2. Grate the zucchini using a box grater
3. Chop up the thyme, rosemary (leaves only!) and garlic as fine as you can.
4. Chop or break up the mushrooms in quarters.
5. Put another frying pan to medium heat and add coconut oil.
6. Add the garlic and about 1/4 of the  thyme and rosemary and gently stir until the garlic has turned light golden and you get a wonderful smell from the herbs (don't turn the fire to high, herbs and garlic burn easily!).
7. Add the mushrooms to the frying pan and mix them with the herbs and garlic, add salt and pepper. Fry the mushies until golden and set aside.
8. Put a saucepan to medium heat and add oats, water and the rest of the herbs. Let it cook softly for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the oats have cooked and your porridge is thick and creamy. 
9. Take it of the heat and stirr through the pesto and parmezan cheese, add freshly ground pepper to taste.
10. Pour your porridge in a bowl and topp with cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, toasted pinenuts, mushrooms and optional extra chopped up basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil.