# Escarole Pesto Pasta

This is a delicious pasta dish that uses a flavorful escarole pesto.

- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Sauce & Condiment
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 head Escarole
- 0.25 cup Olive oil
- 9 Whole peeled garlic cloves
- 1 pinch Red pepper flake
- 1 bunch Basil
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 2 Lemons
- 0.25 pound Pasta
- 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Cold butter

## Instructions

1. Rough chop the escarole.
2. Wash the chopped escarole and core.
3. Add about a quarter cup of olive oil to a large pan over medium heat.
4. Add 8 to 10 whole peeled garlic cloves to the pan.
5. Add all of the washed escarole to the pan.
6. Optionally, add a pinch of red pepper flake.
7. Sauté the escarole for about 3 to 4 minutes until it's wilted down but still has some texture.
8. Use a slotted or perforated spoon to pick the escarole and garlic out of the pan, leaving as much liquid behind as possible.
9. Lay the escarole and garlic out into a flat surface like a plate or a half-sheet tray to cool down.
10. While the escarole cools, pick the leaves off about one full bunch of basil.
11. Once the escarole and garlic are cooled, pick it up with your hands and squeeze out as much moisture as possible into a food processor.
12. Give it a light pinch of kosher salt.
13. Give the mixture a couple of pulses to get the garlic a head start.
14. Scrape down the sides of the food processor.
15. Add the juice from two lemons.
16. Add all of the basil.
17. If it's not quite pureeing to your desire, add a little drizzle of olive oil.
18. Puree until you get the texture that you like.
19. Portion your pesto into a container for future use.
20. Cook your favorite pasta.
21. Pull the pasta straight out of the water and into a bowl with about a half a cup of pesto, a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese, and optionally, about a tablespoon of cold butter.
22. Mix the pasta until the sauce emulsifies.
23. Serve and top with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

## Equipment

- Knife
- Pan
- Slotted or perforated spoon
- Sheet tray
- Food processor
- Mortar and pestle
- Mokahete
- Stick blender
- Tongs
- Bowl
- Pot

## Tips

- Pistachios or pumpkin seeds are good additions to the pesto.
- To double basil production, pinch the top of the stem where two baby stems are growing. These baby stems will grow into two main stems.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2174083346387598/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/22913124-a6b8-4ef1-b17d-fe01253df512
- Extracted: 2025-08-12

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt