Cooking

Artichoke & Parsley Pesto

Today I would like to share one of my favorite recipes that I have ever invented. Though this recipe is printed in a book called Everyday Italian by the well know authoress-cook Giada De Laurentis, I think it’s fair to claim I invented this because Giada thinks it is a pasta sauce. I think it is best incarnated as a dip.

Minor copyright issues aside,  it’s delicious. Lemony, spring green, chock full of artichokes and walnuts. Around this time of year I swear allegiance to this as my favorite pesto because I find the ingredients are much easier to stock than the more famous basil version. Basil is just so…demanding. It has to be summer fresh, or it’s nearly tasteless. If you do want to put this on pasta, Giada suggests choosing something curly that will capture lots of pesto goodness in each bite.

Artichoke Pesto
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Ingredients:

1 8 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 cup parsley, lightly packed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
zest & juice from one lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
In food processor, combine artichokes, parsley, walnuts, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Chop the ingredients fine, stopping the machine a few times to scrape down the sides. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cheese.

4 Comments

    • Rachael

      It’s called Lebanese cracker bread, I just found it at my grocery store and decided to try it out. I don’t heat up the sauce. It’s burrata! But it’s not as good as the stuff we had in Denver…I know the bowls look good! Perfect for a budding food photographer.

  • Sarah

    oh yum. i bought a jar of artichoke hearts just the other day, because they looked so pretty sitting there in the grocery store. which is saying a lot – you know meijer lighting! i think it’s fate though, because now i can make this!

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