Mint Pesto With Pasta and Greens
- 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves (washed and rinsed)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 12 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.)
- 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.
mint, garlic, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, rice wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, pasta, radish greens
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/mint-pesto-with-pasta-and-greens-424352 (may not work)