Watercress pesto with linguine. As I have some extra watercress at the house, I wanted to make something different.
Sharp and peppery, the watercress is a great way to enhance any delicious pasta dish. Taking the classic pasta with pesto up a notch.
Homemade pesto is easy to make and takes a minute with your small food processor. Although always made with basil, here is my version with watercress.
It is a treat when our local store carries it, and I never pass up the opportunity to enjoy it in an old favorite dish or create a new one with it.
Watercress is a leafy green that grows in natural spring water. It has a very distinctive peppery taste to it.
Known to be one of the oldest leaf vegetables. It proliferates and is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia.
Rich in potassium is one of the essential minerals in our body.
Salads may be the obvious choice for fresh watercress. However, as you will discover here, the possibilities are endless.
Soup, sandwiches, sauces, pesto, and dips, are the perfect combination to use your watercress.
Smoothie for a rich vitamin-packed drink. Watercress contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
The entire plant is edible. Leaves and stalks can be eaten raw or cooked.
The only part discarded is the roots that do not taste good.
Watercress is related to mustard greens. It grows wild in running water year-round. Look for crisp, dark green leaves without any blemishes.
If you see any flowers, it means the watercress will be bitter.
The watercress leaves must be bright green and not limp.
The season runs from September to May. Usually sold in stores with the hearth still attached in a bundle. This will keep them fresh.
In an enormous container, fill it with cold water and rinse the watercress bundle. Add vinegar to your water to eliminate any tiny bacteria.
Cut the dirt bundle off and go thru all the leaves to ensure nothing is stuck in between.
If you eat it raw, use the small tender leaves. If you are cooking with it, you can use the whole bundle and not cook it too long.
Typically a basil sauce originating from Genova, Italy. However, the word "pesto" derives from eh verb "pestare" which means to "crush."
Therefore pesto is typically made by crushing the ingredients in either mortar or a food processor.
Variations from the original pesto abound. You can replace the basil with kale, spinach, arugula, and such as here with watercress.
One common denominator is that any basil replacement must have a tangy, peppery taste.
Watercress: usually sold in bunches with the soil still attached to it. Remove the dirt by cutting thru it. Make sure your leaves are all evenly bright green and upright.
Garlic clove: a small clove complements the taste of the watercress. Adding more to your pesto is ill-advised as it will change the flavor, and the garlic will overpower your dish.
Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated Parmigiano adds another layer to your sauce. You can replace it with pecorino if none is on hand.
Pine nuts: A must! They are one of the key ingredients in the pesto. You can taste them as their flavor will stand out in this dish. Also, replace the pine nuts with walnuts or, better yet, add half of the pine nuts and half walnuts. You will enjoy the combination.
Olive oil: I enjoy Olio Santo and Bertolli oils. Both are not too heavy and do not change the flavor of food as some Extra virgin olive oil does. Lighter in taste and easier to cook with.
Pasta: Linguine, fettuccine, penne, farfalle. I leave it up to you to choose the pasta of your liking. Do cook them al dente, meaning remove them a couple of minutes before they are thoroughly cooked. You still want to feel a bite when you bite into it.
Heavy cream: The secret arsenal to all pesto, the original Genovese, and here. The cream breaks down the bitterness and gives a softer flavor to your dish.
As you can see, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. While the pasta is cooking, you can prepare the pesto.
Yes, you can. The pesto will store well in the refrigerator for up to three days.
A glass jar with a tight-fit lid is always my choice. Last longer, and there is no odor remaining in the container.
If you use a container with a light color plastic lid, beware that the green pesto will stain your cover if it comes into contact.
Bring it back to room temperature before adding it to your pasta.
Add the pasta with pesto in a small pan. Add a few tablespoons of water and warm up over medium-low heat.
Cover to keep the heat in and for faster warming up. Stir once in a while, and be careful that it does not burn. Add more water and a small dollop of butter if too dry.
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