Moringa Pesto with Moringa Powder (15 Minutes)

Moringa pesto is basil pesto with a tablespoon of moringa leaf powder blended in. The powder deepens the green, adds an earthy, slightly nutty note under the basil, and never gets cooked, because pesto is tossed with hot pasta off the heat. This version takes 15 minutes, makes about a cup, and is enough for a pound of pasta.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (45 g) pine nuts or walnuts
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 2 cups (50 to 60 g) packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup (45 g) finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon moringa leaf powder (start with 2 teaspoons if you are new to it)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment: a small dry skillet and a food processor (a blender works, with a little extra oil).

Method

1. Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan often, until golden in spots and fragrant. Tip them onto a plate to cool; they burn quickly once they color.
2. Pulse the garlic and cooled nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses.
3. Add the basil, Parmesan, moringa powder and salt, then pulse until the basil is finely chopped, scraping down the sides once.
4. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream until the pesto is smooth but still has some texture, about 30 seconds.
5. Pulse in the lemon juice and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and add more salt, lemon or moringa if it needs it.

To serve with pasta

Cook 1 lb (450 g) of pasta in well-salted water. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta, return it to the empty pot off the heat, add the pesto and a splash of the cooking water, and toss until the sauce coats the pasta. Add more water a spoonful at a time if it looks dry. Keeping the pot off the heat stops the cheese turning stringy and keeps the moringa and basil bright.

Notes

• Moringa is earthy and a little bitter on its own. A tablespoon reads as a deeper herb flavor; more than that starts to taste of hay. Start with 2 teaspoons the first time.
• Sift the powder if it has clumped in the pouch, or it can leave little dry pockets in the pesto.
• The pesto will be a darker, more olive green than basil pesto. That is the moringa, not browning.
• No food processor: chop the nuts, garlic and basil very finely by hand, then stir in the cheese, moringa, salt, oil and lemon in a bowl. It will be coarser, and still good.

Substitutions

• Nuts: walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds all work in place of pine nuts.
• Cheese: Pecorino Romano is saltier, so cut the salt. For a dairy-free pesto, leave the cheese out and add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and a little more salt.
• Greens: replace up to half the basil with baby spinach or arugula.

Storage

Oregon State University Extension says pesto must be refrigerated and used within 4 days, or frozen for longer storage.¹ Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface before you close the container, to keep the top from darkening. Do not seal it under a layer of oil; the garlic and oil mixture is meant to be kept cold and used within 4 days. To freeze, spoon it into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then wrap the cubes and keep them in an airtight freezer container, as the same guide suggests.¹ Thaw cubes in the refrigerator, or drop them straight onto hot drained pasta.

FAQ

Can you use moringa powder instead of fresh moringa leaves in pesto?

Yes. Many moringa pesto recipes call for fresh leaves, which can be hard to find in US stores. A tablespoon of powder blended into basil pesto gives the same deep green and earthy note.

Does moringa pesto taste like moringa?

Mostly it tastes like basil pesto with a deeper, earthier finish. Lemon and Parmesan keep the moringa in the background.

How long does moringa pesto keep?

Up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or frozen for longer, following Oregon State University Extension's advice for pesto.¹

Can I heat moringa pesto?

Toss it with hot pasta off the heat rather than cooking it in a pan. That keeps the basil and moringa green and the cheese smooth.

Keep reading: Moringa soup with moringa powder, How to make moringa tea from powder and Moringa smoothie recipes.