Summer brings a lot of greens to my table. Between local farmers' markets, my own garden, and a regular CSA share, not everything I get becomes salad. One of my favorite ways to use such things is to toss them in my food processor to make relishes, chimichurris, chutneys, and pestos. This time around, I'm sharing a quick yet elegant dinner idea that will have you cheering. Sorrel pesto gets paired with tender orzo pasta and topped with seared tuna to make everyone's taste buds sing.
The star of this pesto is the sorrel. I like using walnuts as the nuts, but pine nuts and even pistachios work well in it. You can reduce the garlic, but please do not eliminate it. Likewise, the lemon zest enhances the lemony flavor of sorrel so try to keep that in the pesto mix. Good olive oil and parmesan cheese are a necessity for good pesto. 'Nuff said.
The version of this dish pictured here got drizzled with a creamy curry sauce and a light sprinkling of chili crisp. Alongside, a fresh salad of watercress and sliced radishes. But here's the thing: you can tweak how you serve it to suit your tastes. Want something with more Asian flare? A cold Thai cucumber salad would also play nicely. Wanting something especially summery? Try sliced stone fruit with fresh mozzarella or burrata and torn basil. Really, the presentation here takes a solid foundation of a meal anywhere you want to take it. Enjoy assembling it in the kitchen and eating it at your table!
Seared Tuna over Sorrel Pesto Orzo
- 8 ounces ahi grade tuna steaks
- 2 teaspoons blackening seasoning or similar seasoning of your choice
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 8 ounces orzo pasta
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups sorrel leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Rub the seasoning evenly into the steaks; set aside.
Bring a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat to temperature, adding the toasted sesame oil after turning on the burner. When it reaches temperature and the oil is glossy, add the tuna steaks and sear, without turning, for 3-4 minutes. Turn and sear for a similar amount of time, cooking the fish to your desired level of doneness. I prefer a rare or medium-rare tuna steak. Remove to a plate; set aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the orzo; cook according to the package instructions, draining when done.
While the pasta cooks and the tuna rests, make the pesto. Process the walnuts and salt in a food processor until the nuts are very finely ground. Add the garlic cloves and process again until it is uniform with the nuts.
Add the sorrel leaves, about ½ cup at a time until they are finely ground.
Add the oil slowly, continuing to stir or process as you pour it in.
Stir in the lemon zest and grated parmesan and season to taste with salt. Add extra oil in you want a looser sauce..
Toss the fresh pesto with the hot pasta. To plate, slice the tuna steaks into ¼" strips and serve over a generous spoon of the pesto pasta.
- Yields: 2-3 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes