Have you heard or rapini? It gets called broccoli raab or rabe too and you can usually find it at green grocers or farmer’s markets. I’ve never seen it at a big supermarket in Melbourne but if you have, let me know. It’s part of both the cabbage and turnip  families and used in Italian cooking. I love it as it’s like spinach with bite. If you can’t find it you could use spinach with a small handful of rocket thrown in for that bit of bite.

Here’s a photo of me excitedly holding some because who doesn’t get excited holding big bunches of leafy greens? No? Just me then.

I make this pesto every time I find rapini because it’s good on everything. On pasta or Gnocchi (especially with some pan fried pork and fennel sausage stirred through) or just on a slice of sourdough. Top that sourdough with some creamy avocado for a very delicious breakfast or snack. Or serve it with eggs. It’s full of punchy flavour and very easy to make.

I blanch the greens before blending into the pesto to remove some of the bitterness and to help the pesto retain a beautiful bright green colour. It’s in season from fall to spring so you should be able to find it now.

Makes approx 1 cup of pesto.

Ingredients

1 bunch of rapini

2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 a fresh chilli (if you want it spicy leave in the seeds if not, remove them, always taste first so you can judge how spicy it is!)

1 tsp lemon zest

3 Tbs lemon juice

2 small cloves of garlic (use less if you don’t love raw garlic)

4-5 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

Bring a big pot of salted water on to boil

Remove the yellow flowers from the rapini (you wont use these) and then remove everything else, the leaves and green florets, from the woody stems. Discard the woody stems. You’re now left with just the green leaves and florets – this is what you’ll use.

Prepare a bowl of iced water. Once the pot of water has come to the boil add the rapini. Blanch for 30 seconds and then drain. Place the rapini into the iced water to stop it cooking.

Place the pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, chilli, pepper and parmesan in a food processor. Drain the rapini from the iced water and squeeze to remove excess water. Place this is the blender to a blend until it’s your desired pesto consistency. Add the olive oil while the food processor is still running. Taste the pesto and adjust the seasoning as you like. You can adjust it with salt, pepper and lemon. Just pulse briefly as you adjust.

Store in a jar with extra olive oil on top, it should keep for a few days to a week in the fridge.

This would be enough for 6 serves of pasta if that’s how you wish to use it!

HH. x