Parsley Pesto

I got curly parsley in my CSA basket and wasn't sure what to do with it. I've gotten parsley as a garnish on my plate at plenty of restaurants but I've never really eaten it other than a bite here and there. According to an email I received from South Coast Farms, "Parsley is useful as a digestive aid. It's an anti-carcinogen and contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges and twice as much iron as spinach. It's also a natural breath freshener." Sounds good to me!

South Coast Farms sends out an email with 3-4 recipes to go with some of the basket contents. I adapted their parsley pesto so that Son #2 with treenut allergies could enjoy it, too. He LOVED this!

Different and delicious!

Parsley pesto pasta served with sauteed chicken sausage, onions and broccoli.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c walnuts, chopped (I used roasted and salted sunflower seeds due to son's allergies)
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• 1 c packed fresh Italian Parsley (I used Italian Parsley and Curly Parsley)
• 1/4 c vegetable broth (I used chicken stock)
• 6 cloves garlic (I used 1 tbs minced garlic)
• 1 tbs plain unseasoned bread crumbs (I used 2 tbs panko)
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt or to taste (I omitted since the sunflower seeds were salted)
• 16 oz spaghettini or other thin pasta

Directions:

1. In a food processor fitted with metal blade, process all ingredients except the pasta. Process until smooth.
2. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/4 c of the water, then drain pasta in colander.
3. Place pasta in large serving bowl, add parsley-sunflower pesto and the reserved water. Toss well to combine and serve immediately. ENJOY!

Source: Adapted from South Coast Farms' recipe