Kale-Walnut Pesto

Recently I taught a series of cooking classes to a group of teenage girls at my town’s YWCA. For our final class, the girls asked me to teach them to make pasta and lasagna was their main request. Nothing against classic lasagna, but often I want something that is faster and fresher on a weeknight. So, in addition to some classic lasagna, I taught this kale pesto and it was a big hit, even with my more veggie-adverse students!

Recipe Updated February 2021

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Walnuts and lemon zest pair nicely with kale in this super simple pesto. Steaming the greens in the microwave eliminates the hassle of blanching and means less moisture to squeeze from the greens. For nut-free pesto, replace the walnuts with pumpkin seeds. For dairy-free pesto, use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan.

Kale pesto on fettuccini in white bowl on wooden platter

 1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into pieces
 zest of 1 medium lemon
 1 medium garlic clove, grated
  cup unsalted walnuts, toasted
  cup grated parmesan cheese
 2 tsp kosher salt
  cup extra virgin olive oil

1

Transfer kale to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until soft and bright green, about 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and set aside to cool.

2

Once the kale is cool enough to handle, using your hands squeeze out as much liquid as possible. There may not be much.

3

In a food processor, pulse the squeezed kale until it is roughly chopped (3-4 pulses).

4

To the food processor, add the lemon zest, grated garlic, walnuts, parmesan and salt. Process until a coarse paste results.

5

Open the feed on the food processor. With the processor running, stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Ingredients

 1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into pieces
 zest of 1 medium lemon
 1 medium garlic clove, grated
  cup unsalted walnuts, toasted
  cup grated parmesan cheese
 2 tsp kosher salt
  cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1

Transfer kale to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until soft and bright green, about 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and set aside to cool.

2

Once the kale is cool enough to handle, using your hands squeeze out as much liquid as possible. There may not be much.

3

In a food processor, pulse the squeezed kale until it is roughly chopped (3-4 pulses).

4

To the food processor, add the lemon zest, grated garlic, walnuts, parmesan and salt. Process until a coarse paste results.

5

Open the feed on the food processor. With the processor running, stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Kale-Walnut Pesto

Uses:

  • Serve tossed with pasta.
  • Spread on raw salmon filets or rub on bone-in chicken pieces before roasting.
  • Use as a vegetable or cracker dip either alone or with cream cheese or goat cheese.
  • Spread on toast and top with a fried egg.


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