Kale Pesto Pasta

by Joanne on January 11, 2012

Pasta is a common dinner in our house, so we are always on the lookout for new ways to enjoy it. We are huge fans of Basil pesto, but didn’t have any fresh basil on hand. Instead, we found a huge bag of kale we bought last week in the back of our fridge. We used some of that huge bag up by making Chili Lime Kale Chips, but the rest went into this pesto. We were thrilled with how it turned out, nutty, earthy and light.

How to make kale pesto

Start by toasting some almonds. Just toss them onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned. Toasting the nuts adds so much flavor, it really brings out the buttery element of the almonds.

While the nuts toast, wash some kale leaves. Remove any thick stems or ribs as well.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then add the washed kale leaves. Cook the kale for 10 minutes.

Drain and squeeze any excess water from the cooked kale then add to a food processor with the toasted almonds, some garlic and red pepper flakes.

Pulse everything together a few times then while the processor is running, slowly pour in some olive oil. Every 5 seconds or so, stop and scrape the sides of the processor bowl then continue to add the olive oil until the pesto comes together.

Add the pesto to a bowl then mix in some Parmigiano-Parmigiano cheese. Taste for seasoning then add salt if necessary.

You could toss the pesto with cooked vegetables, but we tossed it with some spaghetti. Before draining the pasta water, reserve about 1/4 cup and use that to loosen the pesto when tossing with the hot pasta.

Kale Pesto Pasta

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Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Toss this pesto with pasta. To do this, cook pasta according to package directions then just before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Toss the drained pasta with a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and a few tablespoons of pesto. Add more or less pesto depending on your preference. This pesto is also great as a spread on sandwiches or tossed with cooked vegetables.

Ingredients

1 large bunch of kale, washed with stems and ribs removed
1/2 cup almonds
2 cloves garlic, roughly minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add kale and cook 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees F then add almonds to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Add kale, almonds, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 times then slowly pour olive oil into the bowl while the processor is running. Stop to scrape the sides a few times.
Add the pesto to a bowl with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. To store, top with a thin layer of olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Tagged as: garlic, kale, olive oil, parmesan cheese, pasta, red pepper flake