Collard Greens Pesto
To avoid food waste and in anticipation of busy weeks ahead, our communications director prepared and froze a tasty collard greens based pesto. Making and freezing a sauce or soup is a great way to meal prep for those days when you want something easy but also home cooked. Toss the pesto with a pasta of your choice and remember to reserve some of that pasta water to make your sauce silky.
Recipe
Servings: 8 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups collard greens
⅓ cup pine nuts or pumpkins seeds if nut-free
2 cloves garlic
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast if vegan
1 pinch salt and pepper
Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Wash and prep collard leaves: Start by washing 2 cups collard greens under running water or submerging them in a bowl of water and shaking them to remove any dirt. Use a salad spinner to dry leaves or lay them flat on a plate or kitchen towel to dry, then chop them into thin pieces.
Blend collards, nuts, garlic, and oil: Toss the cleaned and dried collard leaves in a food processor. Next, add ⅓ cup pine nuts and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until finely chopped, slowly drizzling in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil until the chopped ingredients are well coated in oil but still chunky.
Add seasonings to finish: Finish by adding in the ⅓ cup parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast) and 1 pinch salt and pepper. Add the Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon juice if using. Give the pesto a taste and add more seasonings until it's flavored to your liking.
Recipe Notes
Ingredients to prep ahead: Make this simple pesto up to 2-3 days before serving, or freeze until ready to use
