Fancy a pesto with real character, but without parmesan or pine nuts? Nutritional yeast plays the part of the grated cheese here, with its salty, slightly cheesy flavour, while raw pumpkin seeds replace the pine nuts for a distinctly cheaper result. The rocket brings its peppery bite and its deep colour, tempered by the basil and a touch of parsley. Everything is blended cold, in a few minutes, for a green sauce to spread, to dip into or to toss through courgette noodles.
Raw rocket and pumpkin seed pesto, without parmesan
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Ingredients
- 65 g raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 and a half teaspoons sea salt
- 25 g basil leaves, packed
- 30 g rocket leaves, packed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 125 ml olive oil
Method
- In a powerful blender, gather the lemon juice, the salt, the basil, the rocket, the parsley, the garlic and the nutritional yeast. Blend to a smooth purée, scraping down the sides once or twice.
- Pour in the olive oil in a thin stream with the blender running, until it is completely incorporated and the sauce takes on a shine.
- Finally add the pumpkin seeds and pulse: there should still be some texture to bite into, as a completely smooth pesto would lose much of its interest.
- Taste, adjust the lemon or the salt, then serve over pasta, over courgette noodles, or as a dip with vegetable sticks.
Tip
This pesto keeps for about 4 days in the fridge in an airtight jar: pour a thin layer of olive oil over the surface before closing it, which slows oxidation and keeps the green bright. If the rocket from your market is very mature, it can turn bitter: rebalance with an extra teaspoon of lemon juice, or by replacing part of the rocket with basil. You can also freeze the pesto in portions in an ice cube tray, very handy for an improvised plate of pasta.
FAQ: your questions about the raw rocket and pumpkin seed pesto
How do you make pesto with rocket?
The principle is that of a classic pesto, with rocket taking the place of part of the basil. Allow 30 g of rocket and 25 g of basil, packed, blended with the garlic, the lemon juice, the salt and the nutritional yeast, before working in 125 ml of olive oil in a thin stream. The pumpkin seeds come last, pulsed in to keep some texture. As rocket is more peppery than basil, taste before adjusting the salt.
How do you take the bitterness out of a rocket pesto?
The bitterness comes mainly from mature rocket with large leaves, and from over-long blending that heats the oils. Use baby leaves if you can, blend in short pulses, and increase the share of basil if the taste remains too strong. A little acidity helps a great deal: an extra teaspoon of lemon juice, or a few drops of cider vinegar. A pitted date blended in with the rest also softens the edges without making the sauce sweet.
Is it possible to make pesto without parmesan?
Absolutely, and that is the choice made in this recipe. What parmesan brings is salt and an umami flavour: the 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast fill that role, with their salty, slightly cheesy taste. You can also blend in a tablespoon of white miso, or add a few soaked cashews for creaminess. Just remember to taste before adding salt, as nutritional yeast already brings plenty of character.
Which vegetable goes well with pesto?
Courgette is the most obvious ally, cut into tagliatelle or spaghetti with a spiralizer, then simply coated in pesto. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, thinly sliced fennel and raw cauliflower in small florets work just as well. As a dip, serve it with carrot, celery or pepper sticks. And for a complete plate, toss the pesto through baby spinach leaves and a few whole pumpkin seeds.
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