This week, I bought these beautiful watermelon radishes at my local farmers market. They’re like artwork when sliced and make any dish pretty spectacular. The subtle spiciness and crunchiness helps elevate any salad, grain bowl…or pasta dish for that matter! Radishes are not only garnish! They also help boost the nutritional profile of any meal and are particularly high in vitamin C and fiber. Also rich in flavanoids (anthocyanins in particular), radishes are a great choice to help with inflammation and oxidative stress.
Pesto is a huge hit in my household. I often make kale pesto, but why not use radish greens? I love using the entire vegetable, and radish leaves pack a similar nutritional punch as many other green leafy veggies. They’re super high in vitamin C (approximately 6x higher than the radish root) and contain health supportive nutrients like vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, calcium and vitamin A. So don’t throw out those radish greens!
Pesto is super versatile and can be used in many different cooking applications. In a pinch, I’m always happy to have some pesto in the fridge for a quick weekday pesto pasta like the recipe below. You can also use pesto with eggs, grain bowls, salads, as a sandwich spread or dip with veggies…the options seem endless. Make a batch of this pesto and you’ll be eating well all week (if it lasts that long)!
Radish Leaf Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups radish leaves packed down
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup raw pistachios
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
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In a food processor, put all the ingredient except the olive oil. Pulse to a few times. Then while drizzling in olive oil, process until desired consistency. It shouldn't be smooth and completely puréed.
Radish Leaf Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 12-oz package brown rice pasta Jovial or Tinkyada brands
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 radishes sliced thinly
- radish leaf pesto recipe above
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Cook brown rice pasta according to package instructions.
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Put broccoli on a baking sheet. Drizzle avocado oil on top and season with sea salt. Toss to combine well. Spread broccoli florets in one layer across baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
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Toss brown rice pasta with Radish Leaf Pesto, to taste. Top with broccoli and radish slices.