Watercress, Broccoli and Roasted Garlic Pesto

Reprinted from Life In Balance by Donna Hay © 2016 by Donna Hay, used with permission from Fourth Estate, a division of HarperCollins publishers. Images by Chris Court, William Meppem. Cover by William Meppem.

• Servings: Makes 3 cups.

From Donna Hay's latest cookbook, Life In Balance: A Fresher Approach to Eating, this luscious pesto is a treat year-round but is especially satisfying in the winter when fresh basil can be scarce and costly.  Plus this pesto, which can be eaten with grilled bread as well as pasta or steamed vegetables, is itself packed with healthy greens. 

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 6 cups (360g) broccoli florets
• 2 cups (30g) watercress sprigs, plus extra to serve
• 1/2 cup (80g) roasted almonds
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
• 3/4 cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil, extra
• char-grilled bread and lemon wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F). Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with the oil and wrap to enclose. Roast for 30 minutes or until golden and soft.
2. Allow to cool and squeeze the cloves from their skin into a food processor.
3. Add the broccoli, watercress, almonds, lemon rind and juice, parmesan and extra oil and process to a coarse paste.
4. Serve with bread, lemon wedges and extra watercress.