Pesto Cime di Rapa

Name: Pesto Cime di Rapa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: fine sea salt; 300 g (10½ oz) cime di rapa (broccoli rabe), trimmed; 60 g (2¼ oz) blanched almonds; 2 garlic cloves; 8 salted capers; 1 tbsp nutritional yeast; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; dried chilli (red pepper) flakes (optional)

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
20 min

Appears in

Veganissimo!

By Antonio Alderuccio

Published 2025

About

This vibrant pesto, rooted in Southern Italy’s culinary traditions, highlights the distinctive flavours of cime di rapa. Originating in Puglia, it combines almonds, garlic, capers and olive oil.

Ingredients

fine sea salt
300 g (10½ oz) cime di rapa (broccoli rabe), trimmed
60

Europe
Italy
Puglia
Sauce
Gluten-free
Vegan

Method

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the cime di rapa for 2–3 minutes or until they are bright green. Drain and set aside.

Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat, shaking the pan regularly, for 2–3 minutes or until they become fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the blanched cime d