When most of us think of pesto, we think of the ubiquitous basil pesto we see on restaurant menus, served on chicken sandwiches and in those little tubs in the grocery stores. Artichoke Lemon Pesto is a spin on the classic preparation that highlights the versatility of the pesto technique.
Pesto is a Technique?
Yes, contrary to what you may believe, the term pesto actually refers to the process, not the end result that we know as typical basil pesto. The word pesto comes from the Italian word pestare, the past tense of “to crush”. Die-hard pesto aficionados know that a mortar and pestle is the preferred method of fabrication. I’ve done it that way and it is awesome, but quite a workout. I’m going with a food processor here for simplicity’s sake.
Pesto Does Not Require Specific Ingredients
Because pesto is about the technique and not a specific set of ingredients there are a lot of flavors you can play with and still legitimately call it a pesto. Basil, can be swapped out for other herbs, like parsley or cilantro. Pine nuts are well known in common recipes (and I use them here), but you can (and I have), used walnuts, pistachios, even macadamia nuts. Even the oil or cheese you use is pretty flexible. Want to use avocado oil instead of olive oil, go ahead. Don’t have Pecorino Romano cheese, use parmesan.
So grilled artichoke pesto is a legit way to make a pesto. I promise the pesto police will leave you alone.
Why Artichoke Lemon Pesto?
As I explained above, pesto is just a technique and there are no rules. A company that follows me on Instagram (and I follow them) makes a great line of grilled baby artichokes. Emoi Foods is a New England based company and as it is my quest to support local business, I grabbed a package at the local farm stand, Wagon Wheel in Lexington MA. (I am not compensated in any way to use their products, I just like them). Check out their website for retailers.
I usually stay away from homemade basil pesto until my own garden yields enough basil to make it worthwhile. Store (or even farm stand) basil does not really cut it in the off-season. But I did grab a small bunch that looked good at Wagon Wheel. Staring at the grilled artichokes and basil, I said to myself I bet we can make this into a great pesto. The grilled artichokes and lemon juice meld to bring a nice blend of subtle smoky and bright acid to the classic taste. And a bonus… this recipe can be made year-round! Artichoke Lemon Pesto is now a part of the regular rotation at our house.
If you invent your own take on this recipe we would love for you to share. sizzle&STEM is about community. Just send us a note in the comments. We’d love to hear all about your culinary imagination!
Artichoke Lemon Pesto
Difficulty: Easy4
Servings10
minutesThe alternative to the usual pesto recipe add another depth of flavor from grilled and marinated artichokes. Served over mixed into pasta as a main course or with crusty bread as an appetizer.
Ingredients
1/4 CUP 1/4 Pine Nuts (lightly toasted)
8 OZ 8 Grilled Marinated Artichokes (See Note 1)
1/2 CUP 1/2 Fresh Basil (loosely packed)
2 Cloves 2 Garlic
1/4 CUP 1/4 Pecorino Romano Cheese (Grated) (See note 2)
2 TBSP 2 Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 CUP 1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (See Note 1)
1/4 TSP 1/4 Crushed Red Pepper (Optional or to Taste)
Salt and Pepper (to Taste)
Process
- Pour pine nuts into a small, dry saute pan over medium-high heat. Toast until fragrant and lightly browned. Be sure to watch carefully, pine nuts can go from toasted to burned pretty quickly. You know they are correct when they just start to be fragrant. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Add artichokes (and the marinade oil or See Note 1), basil, garlic cloves, romano cheese, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and toasted pine nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Start processor. Drizzle olive oil into the running processor. Stop processor and adjust for salt and pepper. Pulse a few more times to combine.
- Finished pesto can be served with pasta or spread on crusty bread as an appetizer. Shown here with bucatini (see Note 3).
Notes
- 1. I used Emoi Foods brand grilled artichoke halves in oil (I am not compensated for this). If you cannot locate this brand, you could use any similar artichokes. They need not be grilled or marinated, but for the recipe to work as written do use the kind packed in olive oil. Canned in water may be used but you will need to add more olive oil to get to the desired consistency and taste.
- 2. Parmesan cheese will work here as well. I like Romano because its classic nutty taste stands up to the artichokes nicely. Also, if you are starting with a hard block of cheese rather than grated, add the cheese to the food processor first to grate, then adding the remaining ingredients.
- Bucatini is pasta that is like spaghetti but thicker and with a hole in it. This recipe will yield enough to coat about a pound of pasta (about 4 main course servings). Virtually any pasta will work. To prepare, cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water per package directions. Put pesto into a bowl large enough to hold the pasta such that you can stir it comfortably. When pasta is done, do not drain. Rather, using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove pasta from the water into the bowl with the pesto. A little cooking water on the pasta is OK, in fact, that is what you are going for. Mix into the pesto. The starchy water from the pot will help the pesto become creamy. Add more cooking water if needed to obtain desired smoothness. Garnish with parsley or basil and more cheese if desired.