Description
Whiz up this kale pesto recipe into a bright green sauce! It’s perfect for swirling into pasta, as a sandwich spread, and more.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup roasted or raw unsalted pine nuts, cashews, or walnuts*
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 cups torn Tuscan kale leaves*, packed
- 1 to 2 handfuls fresh Italian parsley or basil**
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup olive oil, plus additional as needed
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the nuts, Parmesan cheese, and peeled garlic cloves. Process until finely ground, about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Add the kale, parsley or basil, lemon juice, sugar and kosher salt. Turn on the food processor and gradually pour in the olive oil: blend until it combines into a thick, oily sauce. Taste and add additional herbs if desired. Eat immediately or refrigerate up to 1 week (it solidifies in the refrigerator so bring to room temperature before serving). You can also freeze for several months.
Notes
*We prefer the milder flavor of Tuscan kale here: it’s also labeled as Lacinato or dinosaur kale at the store. However, you can also use curly kale if it’s all you have available.
*Fresh herbs are optional, but they do smooth out the spicy flavor of the kale. Use if you have them on hand, or it’s easy to find bunches of Italian parsley at the grocery in the winter.
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Italian inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
