Radish Leaf Pesto

I strongly recommend using radish leaves that are organic or unsprayed. Radish leaves can harbor a lot of grit so you may need to wash them in several changes of water, until no grit remains, as I do. If you like garlic, use 3 cloves of garlic rather than 2. If you don't have a food processor you can also make this in a blender. You'll need to stop the blender a few times to scrape down the sides. However you make it, be careful not to over-puree it; I like it best when it's a little chunky and a blender can easily make it too smooth. This recipe makes enough to sauce 3-4 portions of pasta. You can easily double the recipe if you have a lot of radish leaves on hand and freeze leftovers. In addition to a sauce for pasta, it can be used a spread on crackers toasted for an appetizer, as part of a sandwich, spread with goat cheese, avocado, or roasted vegetables, or a dip for raw vegetables, such as carrots, fennel, celery, kohlrabi, and beets.

Servings 1 cup (250g)

8 cups (140g) loosely packed radish leaves, preferably organic (well-washed)
2-3 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1-2 tablespoons, or more, if necessary
1/2 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup (30g) whole almonds, unroasted, coarsely chopped, or 3 tablespoons untoasted pine nuts (30g)
3/4 teaspoon salt

Coarsely chop the radish leaves and put them in the bowl of a food processor along with the garlic, 1/4 cup of olive oil, Parmesan, almonds or pinenuts, and salt.
Pulse the ingredients in the food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides, if necessary, until the ingredients come together in a cohesive paste. If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons or more olive oil, unless it's a smooth, moist paste.

Notes

Serving tip: If tossing with warm pasta, you may want to add a good pour of olive oil (or a few spoonfuls of the starchy pasta cooking water) after stirring in the pesto if the pasta seems dry. (Radish leaves can soak up a lot of oil.)