But first, let me provide a little background on the two greens that I used in my wild garlic pesto orecchiette. Wild garlic is an herb that’s in the same family as chives, and it grows in England only during the spring months. It’s a slightly sweet tasting plant with just a little hint of garlicky goodness. I made some pan-seared pollock with poached eggs and wild garlic for my cookbook club. The garlic was such a delicately fresh touch to the dish that I immediately thought, “What else can I make with this stuff?” Since then, I’ve had it wrapped around goat cheese (heavenly) and also in this wild garlic pesto orecchiette.

Since traveling to Liguria, the northwest coastal region of Italy that’s known for pesto, I’ve learned a few truths when it comes to making pesto. First, although mixing pesto in a food processor is the quickest way to go, you don’t want to totally pulverize your pesto by turning the machine on and letting ‘er rip. It’s better to pulse your garlic and nuts (traditional pesto has pine nuts, but I’ve used walnuts and almonds with great success, too) first so that the two become a chunky paste. Then, you can add your fresh herbs and pulse again, with cheese and olive oil last. This helps maintain the consistency of your pesto in a nice, chunky sauce instead of a runny hot mess (which I am most days, whether I’m making pesto or not).

Wild sea purslane, on the other hand, is a really interesting herb that grows wild on the banks of the British coast. It’s velvety to the touch, like sage, but literally tastes like the sea when you chew on it raw. The stalks are sturdy and woodsy, so they’re not ideal for adding into dishes. However, the leaves can be plucked off easily for a salty, yet not overpowering, accent to any dish.

The best part about any pesto is that it can be made ahead and saved in the fridge for up to a week. I made this pesto in the morning, right after I put away the clean dishes and sent my kids off to school. The pesto sat in a pool of olive oil until dinner time, and I tossed some orecchiette (which means “little ear” in Italian) in salted water to boil. Orecchiette is one of my favorite pasta shapes because the well of the “little ears” can catch puddles of sauce, making for a flavorful bite with every mouthful.

If you’re not in the U.K., finding wild garlic and sea purslane can be difficult, if not impossible. In the U.S., you can find ramps (wild leeks) in the spring, which would also make for a nice pesto. By my research, it looks like some people say that ramps and wild garlic are the same thing, but I don’t think they are mainly because of the difference in flowers. I’ve also blanched broccoli rabe in hot water and made a pesto out of that, which also turned out to be quite tasty.

I served my wild garlic pesto orecchiette with just a simple green salad, but I think it would also a nice fresh pairing with a heavier grilled meat. Let me know what you think — in the meantime, I’ll be smothering my face in pesto and dreaming about Italy…

My recipe was inspired by this recipe over at Taste Without Borders.

Lastly, as a bonus video, my little guy asked that I share this video of him stir-frying vegetables. He’s quite the up-and-coming chef! Check it out:

Today my little sous chef had a busy night in the kitchen. Watch him prep and chop veggies for a stir fry that we added to Thai style steamed trout! ???

A post shared by Ann Kaufman (@gritsandchopsticks) on May 15, 2017 at 2:20pm PDT