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Fresh Dandelion Greens Pesto Pasta Recipe Easy Homemade with Crunchy Pine Nuts

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A quick and easy pasta recipe featuring fresh dandelion greens transformed into a creamy pesto with crunchy pine nuts, perfect for spring and summer meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups packed fresh dandelion greens (about 120g), washed and trimmed
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½ cup pine nuts (70g), lightly toasted
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese (50g), finely grated
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (80ml)
  • Juice of ½ fresh lemon
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 ounces spaghetti or your favorite pasta (340g)

Instructions

  1. Rinse dandelion greens thoroughly under cold water to remove grit. Pat dry and trim any tough stems (about 5 minutes).
  2. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente (8-10 minutes). Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water before draining.
  4. In a food processor, combine dandelion greens, garlic cloves, toasted pine nuts (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish), and Parmesan cheese. Pulse a few times to chop roughly.
  5. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice. Blend until smooth but still textured. Add reserved pasta water if pesto is too thick.
  6. Season pesto with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse briefly to mix.
  7. Return drained pasta to pot or large bowl. Add pesto and toss until every strand is coated. Add more reserved pasta water if needed to loosen sauce.
  8. Serve pasta plated, sprinkled with reserved pine nuts and extra Parmesan if desired. Optionally garnish with fresh lemon zest.

Notes

Pick young dandelion leaves to avoid bitterness. Toast pine nuts carefully on medium-low heat to prevent burning. Do not over-pulse pesto; keep some texture. Save pasta water to loosen pesto sauce and help it cling to noodles. For vegan version, replace Parmesan with nutritional yeast or vegan cheese. Pine nuts can be substituted with walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds.

Nutrition

Keywords: dandelion greens, pesto, pasta, pine nuts, homemade, easy recipe, vegetarian, spring recipe, wild greens

Find it online: https://chrisfeasts.com/fresh-dandelion-greens-pesto-pasta-recipe-easy-homemade-with-crunchy-pine-nuts/