A big thank you to Noush for recommending this brilliant watercress pesto recipe to me! She makes it every week at home because her son loves ‘green pasta’. It was a big hit in my house too, despite my kids not normally going near watercress, because they love pesto!
It takes just 5 minutes to whizz the pesto up in a food processor and it can be eaten in lots of different ways – stirred through pasta with anything you fancy; dolloped on top of pizza; on chicken; spread on to sandwiches with salad and/or cheese, or as a salad dressing. Watching my kids eat it is very satisfying because watercress is packed with goodness.
The pesto will last up to a week in the fridge in a sealed container topped with a layer of olive oil, and the amount in the recipe should last for around four family meals, depending on what you use it for (it’s about a jar’s worth). Hope you like it as much as me!
Watercress pesto
1 bag watercress (or other leaves like spinach or rocket)
1 clove garlic, crushed
60g grated parmesan (I don’t always have this at home – it’s fine without it)
Generous handful pine nuts (or whatever nuts you have – I have used walnuts, brazil nuts and pecans too)
Squeeze of lemon
Olive oil
Put everything except the lemon and olive oil in the food processor and whizz it until everything is finely chopped. Add the oil (as much as it takes to get the consistency you want) and then a squeeze of lemon to suit your taste (usually between 1/4 and 1/2 a lemon). Season with salt and pepper. Store in the fridge for up to a week with a layer of olive oil on top to keep fresh.
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