St Patrick’s Day 2009: Dill Pesto

What better time than St. Patrick’s Day to eat green? For those out there that don’t want to go with the traditional corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes – try eating something flavorful and green instead. This pesto is tangy and bursting with dill flavor. If you’ve got an abundance of dill, or if you just love the flavor you will adore this pesto. The addition of lemon and grainy mustard add depth to the flavor without diminishing the dill, and the parsley adds a bit of herbal depth. In terms of ease of execution, you can’t find a meal simpler than pesto.

Dill Pesto

• 3/4 C dill, roughly chopped
• 1/4 C parsley, roughly chopped
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 C pine nuts, toasted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T whole grain mustard
• pinch of crushed red pepper
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Cook 1 lbs of pasta in salted water according to package directions.  Place dill, parsley, lemon juice, pine nuts, garlic, mustard, and red pepper in a food processor.  Season with salt and pepper.  Slowly stream in olive oil while pulsing on high.  Pulse mixture until all oil is incorporated and the mixture forms a thick paste.  Taste to check seasoning, and adjust as needed, pulsing to blend.  Drain pasta well, and toss immediately with the pesto.  Serve at once.

Serves 4.

Advertisement