Swiss Chard Pesto

Swiss Chard Pesto

Did you know of such a thing? Well I am sure it’s been out there awhile, but without having grown so much I did a little digging and found this little ditty. It’s great. I throw it in a pasta dish, but it would be great on a cheese plate, or baked brie, or…..you get the idea. Give this a try in your pasta tonight and throw in a little cream and butter and onions and it will be very hard to leave the table!

Here’s all you do:

Swiss Chard Pesto

• 2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 ounces freshly grated pecorino cheese
• 1 bunch of basil leaves (about 1/2 cup packed)
• Kosher salt

Heat two tablespoons of oil and the garlic in a saute pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and the garlic has become fragrant, gradually add the Swiss chard, wilting it into the oil and sauteeing for a few minutes.  Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, combine the walnuts, pecorino cheese, and basil leaves in the bowl of a food processor.  Add in the cooled chard and garlic.  Pulse to roughly chop and combine the ingredients. Then, stream in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil while blending to your desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning with salt.

To freeze the pesto, fill an ice cube tray with leftover pesto and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Once the pesto cubes have frozen, they can be transferred to a ziplock bag and kept for a few months. I love any kind of pesto and pasta and it’s pretty healthy so you can’t go wrong. Bon Appétit!