Author Notes
I highly recommend making the pesto in a food processor. Or a powerful blender. Otherwise, the texture will be stringy and unpleasant. These measurements are approximate. The most important pesto-making advice I can give is that it's key to taste it several times. It will need adjusting in order to balance the flavors. And play with using different kinds of cheeses or nuts or greens. If you use any firm vegetables or greens, make sure you blanch them first in salted water. Be careful and only add the salt at the end because sometimes the pesto is almost salty enough from the salted water, the anchovies, and the parmesan. If you reheat it, do it over very low heat and add a splash of water and olive oil to keep it moist and to prevent the pesto from sticking to the pan or browning. —Phyllis Grant
Ingredients
- Broccolini Pesto
-
1 bunch
broccolini, about 10 stalks
-
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt, for blanching
-
1/2 cup
loosely packed parsley leaves
-
1/2 cup
loosely packed arugula
-
1/3 cup
blanched almonds, lightly toasted and still warm
-
1/3 cup
walnuts, lightly toasted and still warm
-
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
-
1 teaspoon
sherry or white wine vinegar
-
2
anchovies, packed in oil (or more!)
-
2
cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
-
1/3 cup
grated Parmesan
-
1/3 cup
fresh and creamy goat cheese
-
1/2 to 1 cups
olive oil (start with 1/2 cup)
-
Kosher salt to taste
- Pasta with Broccolini Pesto and Crème Fraîche
-
1 teaspoon
kosher salt (for pasta water)
-
1 pound
pasta (I use spaghetti)
-
3/4 cup
broccolini pesto
-
1/3 cup
crème fraîche
-
1/3 cup
chopped parsley
-
Zest strips from 1 lemon
-
1 cup
broccolini florets (save stalks for soup or stock)
-
Olive oil
-
Coarse salt
-
Parmesan
Directions
- Broccolini Pesto
-
Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then add broccolini. Boil until stalks just give a bit to the tip of a paring knife (about 3 minutes). Drain.
-
Throw hot broccolini into the bowl of the food processor with the parsley, arugula, almonds, walnuts, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, anchovies, garlic, Parmesan, and goat cheese. Start by adding only 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Blend the heck out of it (15 seconds or so). Scrape down the sides. Blend again for a few seconds. Taste.
-
You will probably need to add quite a bit more olive oil and a few pinches of kosher salt. Maybe some more lemon juice. Take your time. Add a little bit at a time until you're happy with the flavor and consistency. Sometimes it helps to smear some on bread. Another thing I do is step away for 10 minutes, blend again, taste, and go back to adjusting. Or ask a husband or a child or a friend to taste it for you. People are very opinionated about pesto. But they can be quite helpful.
-
Store in the fridge for a week with a thin layer of of olive oil on top. Or freeze for a few months.
- Pasta with Broccolini Pesto and Crème Fraîche
-
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then add pasta.
-
While pasta is cooking, place pesto, crème fraîche, parsley, and lemon zest in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Whisk together. Set aside.
-
When the pasta is almost done, use a measuring cup to scoop out about a cup of the pasta water. Then toss the broccolini florets in with the pasta to cook for the final minute or so.
-
When the pasta is al dente, drain and immediately pour pasta and broccolini over the pesto mixture in the reserved serving bowl. Add a splash of pasta water. Toss. Using a vegetable peeler, rain down some wisps of parmesan. Serve immediately. Have pasta water, olive oil, crunchy salt, and additional Parmesan on the table.
Phyllis Grant is an IACP finalist for Personal Essays/Memoir Writing and a three-time
Saveur Food Blog Awards finalist for her blog,
Dash and Bella. Her essays and recipes have been published in a dozen anthologies and cookbooks including
Best Food Writing 2015 and
2016. Her work has been featured both in print and online for various outlets, including
Oprah, The New York Times, Food52, Saveur, The Huffington Post, Time Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, Tasting Table and
Salon. Her memoir with recipes,
Everything Is Out of Control, is coming out April 2020 from Farrar Straus & Giroux. She lives in Berkeley, California with her husband and two children.
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