Watercress Pesto with Linguine

Watercress pesto with linguine. As I have some extra watercress at the house, I wanted to make something different.

It is a treat when our local store carries it, and I never pass up the opportunity to enjoy it in an old favorite dish or create a new one with it.

Sharp and peppery, the watercress is a great way to enhance any delicious pasta dish.  Taking the classic pasta with pesto up a notch.

Homemade pesto is easy to make and takes a minute with your small food processor. Although always made with basil, here is my version with watercress.

In this Article

What is a watercress?

Watercress is a leafy green that grows in natural spring water. It has a very distinctive peppery taste to it.

Known to be one of the oldest leaf vegetables. It proliferates and is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia.

Rich in potassium is one of the essential minerals in our body.

What can I do with fresh watercress?

Salads may be the obvious choice for fresh watercress. However, as you will discover here, the possibilities are endless.

Soup, sandwiches, sauces, pesto, and dips, are the perfect combination to use your watercress.

Smoothie for a rich vitamin-packed drink.  Watercress contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.

Do you eat the stems of the watercress?

The entire plant is edible. Leaves and stalks can be eaten raw or cooked.

The only part discarded is the roots that do not taste good.

Selecting the best watercress

Watercress is related to mustard greens. It grows wild in running water year-round. Look for crisp, dark green leaves without any blemishes.

If you see any flowers, it means the watercress will be bitter.

The watercress leaves must be bright green and not limp.

The season runs from September to May. Usually sold in stores with the hearth still attached in a bundle. This will keep them fresh.

How to prepare your watercress for cooking?

In an enormous container, fill it with cold water and rinse the watercress bundle. Add vinegar to your water to eliminate any tiny bacteria.

Cut the dirt bundle off and go thru all the leaves to ensure nothing is stuck in between.

If you eat it raw, use the small tender leaves. If you are cooking with it, you can use the whole bundle and not cook it too long.

What is pesto?

Typically a basil sauce originating from Genova, Italy. However, the word “pesto” derives from eh verb “pestare” which means to “crush.”

Therefore pesto is typically made by crushing the ingredients in either mortar or a food processor.

Variations from the original pesto abound. You can replace the basil with kale, spinach, arugula, and such as here with watercress.

One common denominator is that any basil replacement must have a tangy, peppery taste.

I enjoy eating fresh vegetables with my pasta.

I do enjoy the rich flavor of it and its richness, like these favorite recipes on mine of broccoli pasta or zucchini provolone pasta.

Nothing more filling and delicious

Cooking tips and step by step to make this fabulous watercress pesto recipe:

As you can see, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. While the pasta is cooking, you can prepare the pesto.

• Use a large and with high border pasta pot to cook your pasta in it. I am of the “do not break your linguine club.” Therefore I dump the pasta into the roaring boiling water and then mix.
• Clean well the watercress. Little specks of dirt can hide on the bottom leaves. Use a large bowl and do a couple of rinses. They may not be necessary, but you better be safe than have to bite on a speck of dirt.
• The food processor will do it all for you. I like to chop the watercress to facilitate the chopping process. Add all the ingredients and grind until a smooth paste is created.
• When the pasta is al dente, meaning it still has a bite, reserve one cup of water before draining. This water will come in handy if your pasta is too dry. The water contains natural starch and acts as a binding agent.
• No need to dirty another pan; once drained, place the pasta back into the cooking pan, add the butter and heavy cream, and mix well until the butter has melted.
• Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of pesto, add the remainder watercress pesto to the pasta, and mix well.
• Top with parmesan shavings.

Storage instructions and reheating

A glass jar with a tight-fit lid is always my choice. Last longer, and there is no odor remaining in the container.

If you use a container with a light color plastic lid, beware that the green pesto will stain your cover if it comes into contact.

Storing only the pesto: bring it back to room temperature before adding it to your pasta.

Storing with the pasta: Add the pasta with pesto in a small pan. Add a few tablespoons of water and warm up over medium-low heat. Cover to keep the heat in and for faster warming up. Stir once in a while, and be careful that it does not burn. Add more water and a small dollop of butter if too dry.

Substitutions

• Watercress can be substituted by using basil and making it the original pesto. Kale, as well as spinach.
• Pecorino for the Parmigiano cheese
• Walnuts can substitute pine nuts. Start with a lesser amount and increase it to satisfy your palate.
  In regards to pasta, you can choose any type of pasta you wish with this dish. This sauce is thick and rich that it will stick to any pasta you select

Equipment and ingredients used to create this recipe.

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