Creamy Roasted Choy Sum Pesto Pasta

CREAMY ROASTED CHOY SUM PESTO PASTA

Instead of the stir-fried choy sum that we’re used to, try this steamed choy sum. An outlandish dish. It was created to take advantage of the glut of Chinese greens currently flooding our market.

These vegetables are frequently prepared with a hot pan of garlic and oil, broth, or a combination of ginger, scallion, and soy sauce in our homes.

It’s as simple as treating choy sum or “yu choy” like any other leafy green you’d find at your local grocery.

Wouldn’t it be great if you put it in your new Nutri Bullet (after a lifetime of poor blenders, this machine has been a godsend) and turn it into pesto?

The stems and leaves of these leafy greens were cooked in the oven until they resembled the famous dish known as the kale chip. To make pesto, I blended it with lemon juice and garlic.

Cream, sweet onions, crunchy sunflower seeds, and fettuccine set this dish apart from traditional Chinese rice dishes and soups.

It was clear to me that this endeavor would be a complete failure, on the other hand.

Was it? Nope. Instead of making “kale pesto,” use this sweeter, tastier veggie. If you don’t like spinach or broccoli rabe’s bitterness? If you’re having trouble coming up with fresh ways to use your choy sum, give this one a go.

INGREDIENTS:

• 225g of clean choy sum
• 3 cloves of garlic, divided
• ½ pound of fettucine
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ cup of finely chopped onion
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• ½ cup of toasted sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. A 400 degree oven is recommended. For your pasta, start a big pot of salted water to boil. Keep the choy sum whole and season with salt, pepper, and olive oil. 15 minutes of roasting, rotate the vegetables once at the halfway point until they are just beginning to sear. Cook your pasta for a minute or so less than fully cooked while that’s going on. Drain the remaining pasta water, saving a cup for later.
2. Add your roasted choy sum, a clove of garlic, some extra virgin olive oil, and the juice of half a lemon to a food processor. Pulse to combine thoroughly.
3. In a large skillet, cook the onion, two minced garlic cloves, and one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 7 minutes, or until golden and soft. Add the lemon zest, pasta, choy sum mixture, and red pepper flakes to the cream. All combined, stir. If it needs to be loosening up, add some of the pasta water that was set aside, and taste to check the seasoning. Serve with toasted sunflower seeds and Parmesan on top.