Broccoli rabe pesto is, officially, my new favorite thing.
I got the idea while having dinner this week at Manzo where Chef Michael Toscano served us a beautiful dish of orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe pesto, among other delicious things.
The only specific pointer we got from Chef was to blanch the rabe first and keep the leaves on. After that, it was all improvisation, but I love the end result – the nuttiness, the slight bitterness of the rabe is addictive.
You’ll need:
- 1 bushel broccoli rabe (approx 1/2 lb)
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- approx 1/3 cup good olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1/3 cup grated pecorino romano
- salt, pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Wash and trim the rabe – keeping the leaves. Chop the garlic roughly.
3. In a food processor, combine broccoli rabe, garlic, and walnuts. Add half of the oil and a pinch of salt and pepper first, pulse to combine. Add the remaining oil and the pecorino, pulse to smooth.
Delicious with pasta, as a spread, or just eaten with the spoon (don’t tell anyone:)).
Ph this looks fantastic, I love pesto, any pesto and i have piles of parmesan in my cheese cupboard! I am going to make this for sure, though I will have to grow the rabe, so it may be a while!! can i do it with regular brocolli? c
I think it would be a little bland with regular broccoli, C. It’s the slight bitterness of the rabe that gives it that punch. But try it and let me know:)!
Such a delicious and versatile looking spread/sauce!
Thanks! I’ll admit, I ate some just straight out of the bowl too :).
I love the color and texture.
Thank you!
What a great recipe. I’m sure that must be so good for you. I love how vibrant the green colour is.
Glad you liked it! It’s very good for you, and the flavors are fantastic. The bright green color comes from blanching the rabe first!
what an amazing colour! I bet this is so tasty and it is certainly nutritious.
Thanks, Alex! It is certainly one of those things that is both good for you and tastes amazing 🙂