Roasted-Fennel Pesto With Fennel Fronds, Toasted Almonds, and Garlic Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Sep. 24, 2018
20140818-pesto-variation-fennel-daniel-gritzer-4.jpg
Photograph: Daniel Gritzer

Roasted fennel bulb, raw fennel fronds, toasted almonds, olive oil, and garlic are the keys to this flavorful pesto variation. It's good on...well, just about everything.

Recipe Details

Roasted-Fennel Pesto With Fennel Fronds, Toasted Almonds, and Garlic Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 12 servings
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped fennel bulb from one medium bulb (about 4 ounces)

  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1/2 cup skinned slivered almonds

  • 3/4 cup loosely packed fennel fronds

  • 2 medium cloves garlic

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss fennel with a drizzle of olive oil and roast, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, scatter almonds on another rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Let fennel and almonds cool slightly.

  2. Using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor, pulse roasted fennel with fennel fronds, garlic, and 1/2 cup olive oil until a puree forms. Add almonds and 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse until pureed. Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, season with salt, and pulse quickly to combine. Use right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Special Equipment

Immersion blender, blender, or food processor

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
187 Calories
20g Fat
2g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 187
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 84mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 75mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)