Millerighe haggis pasta with pesto is a warming and comforting dish for miserable, January days. Instead of binning your Burns Night leftovers, have a go at this delicious recipe and put them to good use. The pesto can be made up to a day in advance, so it is a great, make-ahead option if you have guests coming for supper.

For more leftovers inspiration, try winter chutney, the perfect match for a feast of cold meats. Or if you still have haggis to use up, read our haggis pakora recipe.

MILLERIGHE HAGGIS PASTA WITH PESTO

This is great comfort food for a January lunch-time. It’s important to use large, tube-shaped pasta such as millerighe, so bits of haggis and sauce get stuck inside, making every mouthful of this millerighe haggis pasta with pesto delicious.

Serves 4

• 250g cooked chestnuts
• 50g grated Parmesan plus 50g for serving
• 80g watercress plus a little extra for serving
• 1⁄2 garlic clove, crushed
• Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• 50ml olive oil
• 400g pasta millerighe (or other large-tubed pasta)
• 2 tbs butter
• 400g cooked haggis (it must be hot when you add it to the pasta)
• 2 tbs good, extra-virgin olive oil

Make the pesto by blitzing the chestnuts, 50g of the Parmesan and 80g of watercress. When it looks finely chopped add the garlic and lemon juice and pour in the olive oil. Season with black pepper and check to see whether it needs salt. It will be quite thick. This can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge.

Cook the pasta as per packet instructions and drain (reserving 4-6 tbs of the pasta water to help loosen the pesto). Add the butter and 25g of the remaining Parmesan. Stir well then add the pesto and stir again. Add enough of the reserved pasta water to make it look nicely saucy then finely stir through the haggis.

Serve the millerighe haggis pasta with pesto with a few extra sprigs of watercress, a sprinkling of Parmesan and a drizzle of the good, extra-virgin olive oil.