Fruitsandveggiesmonday - Capellini With Dandelion Chive pesto

I guess I've been on somewhat of a dandelion kick since they are everywhere and soon they will be tougher than I like. I know many people are not used to using common weeds as food but this is a weed that feeds.

If you already love bitter greens, and like myself, crave it from time to time, then dandelions in spring should somehow be incorporated into your diet. It has many benefits and for me the best benefit is that it is a liver cleanser. I tend to love a drink or two now and then. Okay quite often. Guilty as charged.

I last had a dandelion salad which was superb and the bitterness was almost not there due to the dressing and the topping.

You might be thinking that it is too dirty to eat because it grows on the lawn where dogs pee. Well first of all I try to go to spots that don't look like dog walking favorites, and second of all, I have a great cleaning ritual for these leaves.

They are rinsed in water thoroughly, then they are soaked in cold water with salt and vinegar. After ten minutes or more I rinse them in water again and soak them in vinegar and salt once more. This is most likely not necessary but it makes me feel better. I've eaten the leaves straight from the ground and I'm still alive. Besides I think that a dirty dandelion is not harmful like some of the garbage food that people put inside of them

Today I made dandelion pesto with some added chives freshly picked. To avoid using too much olive oil, I used a blend of soft tofu, ground sunflower seeds, tahini, garlic and lemon juice and just a little white balsamic. If I was a billionaire I would have used pine nuts. Normally I wouldn't use vinegar for a pesto but I find that the sweet balsamic offsets the bitterness just a bit.

I boiled water for the Angel Hair Capellini which is very thin and if you like your pasta al dente like me, you need to be very careful with this pasta.

When the water is boiling, add the pasta and stir gently until it is bendy but still a little crunchy. Don't be afraid to drain it at this point because it will keep cooking as you add the pesto and mix thoroughly and gently. I like to put it back on the stove after the stove has been turned off but still has heat. While you mix the sauce to coat all of the pasta, it will finish cooking to perfection and be ready to plate.

I sprinkled it with crushed sunflower seeds and chilies since I love spices.

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The pesto was tossed uncooked as most pesto is. The hot pasta will heat it up. But if you want to lessen the bitterness which we personally like, you could heat the sauce first. When dandelion is cooked it will get less bitter.