Dandelion Pesto Recipe

I had always thought that ‘Pesto’ had to be made with Basil leaves but in fact pesto simply means ‘paste’ in Italian. So you can make it with any green herbs or leaves that you have (or a mix of several) and use any nuts or seeds that you like too. Parmesan cheese is often used but you can use a different cheese or leave it out all together.

Once I started to get into herbalism (see My Unexpected Journey into Herbalism), I started to experiment with different combinations with different health benefits – and as a way to eat a wider range of plant based foods. This pesto recipe uses dandelion leaves and macadamia nuts.

1 cup tightly packed fresh dandelion leaves
1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
Pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp pine nuts
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until blended.  Cover the surface with plastic food wrap (to stop it discolouring) and set aside until required.

Handy Tips

• Italian Pesto is traditionally served stirred through pasta but it is delicious with lots of different dishes.  I often spread it on the base of a pizza or stir some through a soup or casserole for extra flavour.
• Freeze pesto in ice cube trays or other small containers and then transfer to a plastic bag.  Store in the freezer ready to add to your favourite dishes.
• If you don’t have enough basil you can add parsley to make up the amount.
• Pesto is the original Italian recipe but you can make a ‘pesto’ with any combination of green herbs and leaves such as spinach.
• You can also substitute the pine nuts with almonds or sunflower seeds.
• You don’t have to use cheese at all or can substitute with e.g. tasty cheese.