Mint Pesto With Pasta and Greens
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Serves:
-
5
ingredients
- 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves (washed and rinsed)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1⁄2 cup walnuts (toasted, if you like, to bring out the flavor)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or sub toasted walnut oil to add even more flavor)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or another light-flavored, complementary vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb pasta
- 6 cups radish greens (or sub spinach, beet greens, etc.)
directions
- Wash and dry the greens. If desired, roughly chop or tear greens into bite size pieces. Place in a large serving bowl.
- In a food processor, combine the mint leaves, garlic cloves, walnuts, oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Process to combine. The pesto may be a little dry, and not come together like you expect. You have two options: either add more oil (higher calorie option), or wait until the pasta is almost done cooking and ladle out pasta water and add to the pesto (lower calorie option). I always use the pasta water, and it tastes great. Just add enough oil or pasta water so that the pesto comes together into a cohesive paste. Taste, and adjust flavors as necessary.
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Drain pasta. In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, toss pasta with the pesto, stirring to coat the pasta with the pesto evenly.
- In the large serving bowl, toss pasta with the greens. Taste, and adjust flavors as necessary.
- Serve with more grated parmesan cheese, sliced radishes, or toasted walnuts.
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