Have you ever thought of using radish leaves to make a quick seasoning, fragrant and anti-waste? Today I propose a radish leaf pesto ready in 5 minutes, perfect for pasta, bruschetta or to add a boost to cold dishes and summer sides.
A smart and sustainable recipe, ideal when you have a fresh bunch of radishes and don’t want to throw anything away. The leaves, in fact, are full of flavor and are perfect to become protagonists in the kitchen.
With just a few ingredients and a blender, you’ll get a creamy pesto with a slightly spicy taste, balanced by almonds and Parmesan cheese.
Perfect to prepare in advance and store in the fridge for a few days, or to freeze in small single-serving jars.
Variations and tips
– Different nuts: you can replace the almonds with walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, or hazelnuts, depending on what you have in your pantry. Or even make a mix.
– Without cheese: for a vegan version, eliminate Parmesan cheese and add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes.
– Garlic yes or no: if the flavor seems too intense, you can omit the garlic or substitute it with a clove blanched for 1 minute for a lighter aroma.
– With a spicy touch: add a pinch of chili powder or a small piece of fresh chili to give it a kick.
– More creamy: to get a more velvety pesto, you can add half a tablespoon of ricotta, Greek yogurt, or light spreadable cheese.
– Alternative use: also great for seasoning barley salads, cold rice, omelets, hard-boiled eggs, canapés, and even grilled fish.
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Preparing a pesto is quick, indeed very quick, and it allows us to dress a crostini, season a first course of short pasta, and I’ll leave you with other ideas just below:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 bunch radishes (well washed and dried)
- 1 oz oz almonds (or walnuts or pine nuts)
- 1 oz oz grated Grana Padano (or Parmesan)
- 1/2 clove garlic (if you like it)
- 3 tbsp tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste lemon juice (just a few drops)
Tools
- Blender
Here are the steps to prepare and enjoy it in a few minutes
I put the washed and patted dry radish leaves, almonds, Parmesan, and garlic (if you use it, I like a pinch!) into the blender.
Then I add the extra virgin olive oil, letting it drizzle in, a pinch of salt, and a few drops of lemon.
I blend using intermittent bursts to avoid heating the blades and ruining the pesto until I achieve a creamy pesto but not too smooth.
Now I taste and if necessary, adjust the salt and, if needed, thin with a tablespoon of the pasta’s cooking water to achieve the desired density of the radish leaf pesto.Bon appétit and happy cooking!
Annalisa
Tips and Storage
Excellent on short pasta (like fusilli, penne), bruschetta, hard-boiled eggs, grilled vegetables, or even to flavor a grain salad.
It keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days, covered with a layer of oil on top.
You can also freeze it in small jars or in freezer cubes, like those for ice 😊.
