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Fennel Frond Pesto With Lemon and Anchovies Recipe

Daniel Gritzer

Turn your herb and vegetable leftovers into a delicious and versatile sauce.

Published:
Fennel Frond Pesto With Lemon and Anchovies Recipe

[Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]

Editor's note: This recipe was developed during the coronavirus pandemic, which has compelled people the world over to confine themselves to their homes, including our recipe developers. Unlike the other recipes on the site, this recipe hasn't gone through the rigorous testing we apply to our usual recipes and lacks measurements by mass.

If you find yourself with leftover fennel fronds, you can whip up this easy sauce in no time. It's bright with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, funky thanks to garlic and a touch of mustard, and savory due to a healthy dose of oil-packed anchovies. Feel free to vary it based on what you have and desire (skip the anchovies, add capers, use scallions or chives instead of garlic, etc.).

You can use this sauce a million ways: Dress vegetables with it, toss pasta in it, serve it with roasted or poached meats, dollop it on eggs or fresh cheeses, spread it on sandwiches, and more.

Why It Works

  • Roughly chopping the fennel fronds makes it easier for the blender to fully purée them.
  • Anchovies add a savory note, mustard and garlic add pungency, while fresh lemon brightens the sauce.

Read more: Turn Vegetable Greens and Herb Scraps Into Flavorful Pestos

  • Yield:Makes about 2 cups
  • Active time: 5 minutes
  • Total time:5 minutes
  • Rated: 4.6

Ingredients

  • 1 quart lightly packed fennel fronds and tender stems (from about 4 bulbs), very roughly chopped
  • 5 oil-packed anchovy fillets
  • 4 medium cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. 1.

    In a blender jar or using an immersion blender, combine fennel fronds, anchovies, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice and zest. Add enough olive oil to just barely come to the top of the solid ingredients.

  2. 2.

    Blend until a smooth sauce forms. Season with salt to taste. Use right away, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

This Recipe Appears In
Turn Vegetable Greens and Herb Scraps Into Flavorful Pestos

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Daniel Gritzer Culinary Director

Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art.

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