Ingredients (~1.5 cups)
- 3 cups roughly chopped Swiss chard leaves, loosely packed (stems removed)
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup roasted salted pepitas
- Zest of 1 to 2 lemons
- Heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- Heaping 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Heaping 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pulse the Greens
Place the chopped chard leaves, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon zest into a food processor.
Pulse the mixture a few times until it breaks down and begins to stick to the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the sides if needed.
Add the Nutty Base
Add the roasted salted pepitas to the processor.
Pulse again until the pepitas are finely blended into the green mixture. You want a coarse texture, not a smooth paste yet. Scrape down the sides again.
Emulsify with Oil
With the food processor running continuously, very slowly pour the olive oil into the feed tube. This slow stream helps the oil emulsify with the solids for a creamy texture.
Process until you reach your desired consistency.
Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl. Taste and adjust salt if needed (remember the pepitas and cheese are already salty).
Swiss Chard Pesto with Lemon Zest
Ingredients
Ingredients (~1.5 cups)
- 3 cups roughly chopped Swiss chard leaves stems removed, loosely packed
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup roasted salted pepitas
- Zest of 1 to 2 lemons
- Heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- Heaping 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Heaping 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add chard, Parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon zest to food processor.
- Pulse until mixture breaks down and sticks to bowl sides.
- Add pepitas and pulse until coarsely blended.
- With processor running, slowly stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
