Kale Pesto: A Fresh Take on a Classic Sauce
When you have a bunch of kale, you have the foundation foran insanely savory sauce! It’s lemony and bright, and it perfect slathered on bread, tossed with pasta, or on chicken.
Servings 4
Ingredients
Kale Pesto Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped fresh kale leaves stems removed
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts
- ¼ cup roughly chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Instructions
Kale Pesto Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place several ice cubes in a large bowl of cold water to the side. Reserve. Remove the tough kale stems and roughly chop the leaves. Drop the kale into the water, and cook until it turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon drop the kale into the ice bath. Let cool for a few minutes, drain, and spin in a salad spinner until dry.
- In a food processor, combine kale, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and onion. Pulse until finely chopped.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the lemon zest, juice, salt, pepper, and dried pepper flakes. Pulse to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If the pesto is too thick, add a little more olive oil or a splash of water.