Have you ever thought of using radish leaves to prepare a quick condiment, fragrant and waste-free? Today, I propose a radish leaf pesto ready in 5 minutes, perfect for pasta, bruschetta, or to give a boost to cold dishes and summer sides.
A clever and sustainable recipe, ideal when you have a fresh bunch of radishes and want to use everything. The leaves are rich in flavor and are perfect as kitchen protagonists.
With few ingredients and a blender, you’ll get a creamy pesto with a slightly pungent taste, balanced by almonds and parmesan.
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 almonds with walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, or hazelnuts, depending on what you have in the pantry. Or even make a mix.
– No cheese: for a vegan version, omit the parmesan and add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes.
– Garlic yes or no: if the taste is too intense, you can omit the garlic or replace it with a blanched clove for 1 minute for a lighter aroma.
– With a spicy touch: add a pinch of chili powder or a small piece of fresh chili for a kick.
– Creamier: to get a more velvety pesto, you can add half a tablespoon of ricotta, Greek yogurt, or light cream cheese.
– Alternative use: also great for flavoring farro salads, cold rice, omelets, boiled eggs, canapés, and even grilled fish.
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Making pesto is quick and super fast, allowing us to sauce a crostino, dress a first course of short pasta, and I’ll leave more 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 almonds (or walnuts or pine nuts)
- 1 oz Grana Padano grated (or parmesan)
- 1/2 clove garlic (if you like it)
- 3 1/2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste lemon juice (just a few drops)
Tools
- Mixer
Here are the steps to prepare and enjoy it in minutes
Place in the mixer the washed and dried radish leaves, almonds, parmesan, and garlic (if using, I like a pinch!).
Then add the olive oil pouring it in a thin stream, a pinch of salt, and a few drops of lemon.
Blend using intermittent pulses to avoid overheating the blades and ruining the pesto until you get a creamy pesto but not too smooth.
Now taste and adjust with salt if needed and, if necessary, thicken the radish leaves pesto with a tablespoon of pasta cooking water.Enjoy your meal and happy cooking!
Annalisa
Tips and Storage
Great on short pasta (like fusilli, penne), bruschetta, boiled eggs, grilled vegetables, or also to flavor a grain salad.
Store in the fridge for 2–3 days, covered with oil on the surface.
You can also freeze it in small jars or in freezer cubes, like ice cubes 😊.
