Barbette’s Dill Pesto

The Heavy Table asked Chef Sarah Master of Barbette to share her favorite seasonal recipe with our readers. She handed us a recipe for dill pesto, below. Barbette fans may be familiar with this dish; it appears on the restaurant’s menu in an orzo pasta salad paired with seared wild-caught salmon.

Yvonne Wagner / Heavy Table

The dish is a true representation of the season. “I chose classic summer flavors: dill, cucumbers, fresh sheep’s milk feta, and dill’s natural pairing, salmon,” says Master. On the first bite, I noticed the play between the crunch of the sear on the salmon and the velvety flesh beneath. More opposites complemented each other in the pasta salad; the cucumber chunks added a refreshing bite next to the melt-in-your-mouth orzo pasta and feta. The dill pesto brought all the flavors of the dish to the next level.

When asked about her inspiration for the dish, Master says: “Growing up here in Minnesota, there was no shortage of cold pasta salad in the hot summer months. I remember being out at our cabin during summer vacation and always having pasta salad in some shape or form to munch on in between boat rides, waterskiing, and four-wheeling in the woods. I love the idea of a cool, light dinner when the humidity hits.”

Dill Pesto
1 pint — enough for 8 servings
Courtesy of Chef Sarah Master of Barbette

3 ½ cups fresh picked dill
½ cup walnuts
¾ cup shredded parmesan
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves fresh garlic
1 tbsp salt

1. Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Toss about 2-3 tablespoons of the pesto in with 3 cups of cooked and chilled orzo pasta.

3. Add ¼ cup crumbled feta and one diced cucumber to the orzo. Serve with seared salmon.