Meatless Monday: Radish Green + Spinach Pesto

radish_pesto_noodles.jpg

For tonights meatless Monday tribute, I’ve got zoodles with a new green sauce, but not just any green sauce. This pesto uses the greens from radishes, often times discarded without thought. So, next time you have a radish green, spare its life from the trash or compost and make it into a pesto. At the very least, toss it in your salad. They add another layer of flavor to any dish (saute it, process it, eat it raw) and cannot be beat when it comes to taste and their naturally peppery flavor which makes them quite ideal for a raw sauce like a pesto. 

The pesto I’ve whipped up here is dairy and nut free and, so, vegan friendly. I bulked it up with some spinach (a little more green never hurt anyone) and kept this pesto simple and summery on a pre-storm NYC night so it only contains citrus, olive oil and garlic. The recipe includes an option to also go all in on the cheese as well because, why not?

What’s the point of eating your greens aside from eating in color? 

Waste not, want not.  

And, in general, if you eat more vegetables, you’ll feel bright. You’ll have more energy, you’ll feel less sluggish. You’ll poop more. Again, you don’t need to know the nitty gritty about every veggie to put it in your mouth - simply know they’re good for you and will absolutely make your skin, hair, nails, insides and mind stronger. And if you need straight up facts, read more here.

And for ways to use this pesto, see below. Tonight I tossed it over zucchini noodles and topped with a little crumbled feta and sliced radishes. You can also use it to dress salads, paired with tuna, roasted veggies and other greens.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of radish greens, about 2 cups

  • 2 c. baby spinach

  • 3 cloves of garlic

  • 1/3 c. walnuts or pine nuts

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil + 2 tsp. for sauteing the zoodles 

  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt 

  • Black pepper 

  • 1/3 c. pecorino romano (optional)

  • 1 zucchini spiralized

  • 1 radish thinly sliced with a mandoline or dice if you don't have a mandoline 

  • 1/4 c. crumbled feta or goat cheese *if you're not vegan

Method

  • Place the first 8 ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth and put aside 

    • If you opt to add in the cheese, do so AFTER the food processing and gently fold the cheese into your pesto mixture

  • Add remaining olive oil to a pan and saute zoodles for 5 minutes over medium low heat

  • Toss with radish green pesto to coat

  • Remove from heat and plate with radishes and crumbles 

tina corrado