Stem-and-Leaf Silverbeet Pesto
The whole plant in one jar: a green, earthy pesto where blanched stems give body and the leaves give colour. Zero waste, maximum flavour.
This is our zero-waste recipe in its purest form: one pesto from the entire silverbeet plant, or mangold plant if that's the name you bought it under, with stems and leaves going into the same food processor. The stems are blanched first so they turn as silky as everything else.
The flavour is deeper and earthier than basil pesto, and it stands up to more: robust pasta, chunky soups, grilled meat. Sunflower seeds keep it cheap; pine nuts make it festive.
Ingredients
- 300 g silverbeet, the whole plant (stems and leaves)
- 50 g Parmesan, grated
- 50 g sunflower seeds or pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove
- 100 ml olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt
Method
- 1Separate stems and leaves. Cut the stems into 2 cm pieces.
- 2Blanch the stems in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, adding the leaves for the final 30 seconds. Transfer everything to ice-cold water, then squeeze out the liquid thoroughly.
- 3Toast the seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until golden.
- 4Blitz silverbeet, seeds, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor to a coarse paste.
- 5Add the olive oil in a thin stream with the machine running, until the pesto is supple but still has some texture.
- 6Season with lemon juice and salt.
Serving suggestions
Toss the pesto through freshly cooked pasta with a splash of pasta water, spread it on good bread, or drop a spoonful onto a tomato soup or a piece of grilled fish.
Make ahead, store, and reheat
The pesto freezes beautifully in ice-cube trays: one cube is one portion of pasta sauce. In the fridge it keeps 4–5 days under a thin layer of oil. For more ways to preserve the rest of your harvest, see the storage page.
Troubleshooting
- The pesto turned bitter?
- Olive oil blitzed at length in a machine can break and turn bitter. Blend the oil in briefly, or stir it in by hand at the end. Older, larger leaves are also more bitter than young ones; extra lemon and Parmesan correct a lot.
- The colour went grey-green instead of bright green?
- The leaves were blanched too long or not cooled fast enough. Thirty seconds in boiling water and straight into ice-cold water locks the colour.
- The pesto is stringy?
- The stems got too little time in the blanching water, or the pieces were too long. Blanch until completely tender at the thickest end, and cut shorter pieces next time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make it without cheese?
Yes. Swap the Parmesan for 2 tbsp nutritional yeast or simply a little extra salt. Without cheese the pesto actually freezes even better.
Can I use only stems or only leaves?
Both work. Stems alone give a paler, milder pesto; leaves alone a darker, earthier one. The ratio in the recipe is the balance between the two.
How much pesto does this make?
About 250 g, enough for two pasta dinners for four or one ice-cube tray of portion cubes.