You can’t miss a good pesto recipe in your cookery book, it’s one of the most versatile sauces and can also be so you can whip it out when you need it. It can be used as key ingredient in dishes such as Pasta with pesto but it’s also a tasty snack spread on toast. To make my favourite pesto tapa, just spread today’s basil and rocket pesto sauce on a multi-grain toast and add some slices of smoked salmon and rocket leaves, but don’t restrict yourself to these suggestions, the possibilities are endless!
As you probably know, the original recipe comes from the North of Italy but it can be a bit oily and not particularly healthy. Also, the traditional recipe has a lot of pine nuts which can be very expensive. This Rocket Pesto Recipe is the solution. It’s simple, cheap, hearty and healthier than the traditional recipe but still retains all of the classic Italian flavours. It is adapted from Rona’s pesto recipe. When I tried it the first time I loved it and decided to write this post for it. Thanks a lot for such a great recipe.
The main ingredient of pesto is basil, but today we are going to add some rocket leaves to the mixture, its flavour goes well with basil leaves and keeps the powerful aroma and flavour of it . Another essential ingredient in this recipe are cashew nuts but you can easily substitute them for any other buttery nut such as walnuts. I tried to only use rocket leaves but it has a slightly bitter taste that I don’t like so I also added basil to it.
To store the pesto, I recommend that you keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks or freeze it in a jar if you want to store it for longer. It still tastes good frozen and is easy to whip out for guests or as a quick and easy treat on the days I have a pesto craving!
How did it turn out for you?
Leave your comments and any ideas below. I look forward to seeing your pictures on Instagram with the hasgtag #shoothecook! See you soon.
Don't miss out on this 5 Minute Rocket Pesto Recipe. It's lighter and cheap without pine nuts.
- 1/2 cup (70g) cashews or walnuts
- 1/2 cup (25g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (25g) fresh basil leaves
- 2 cup (25g) rocket leaves
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/2 cup (100-125ml) of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt, add more to taste
Add the basil, rocket, minced garlic clove, grated cheese and the cashew nuts to your food processor. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Blend to a coarse paste.
Add the remaining olive oil slowly while blending the ingredients until you have a smooth consistency.
Season to your taste and blend for 1 more minute. If you can't wait for the pasta to cook, spread some on your favourite bread as a tasty treat!
*You can add more or less olive oil depending on your dietary requirements, you can also add a bit of water and reduce oil amount.
[…] you have cooked your noodles, it’s pesto time! Today I’m using the Rocket Pesto Sauce you will find it on the […]