Kale Pecan Pesto
Total Time
10 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
0 minutes
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
(17)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups
- 3 cups packed kale (about 1 small bunch), preferably the Tuscan/lacinato variety, thick ribs removed
- ½ cup raw pecans
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- 1 medium-to-large clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
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Preparation
Step 1
In a food processor, combine the kale, pecans, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Turn on the food processor and blend until the kale and pecans have broken down into small pieces.
Step 2
While running the machine, drizzle in the oil. Process until the pesto reaches your desired consistency, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Then add the cheese and process briefly to combine.
Step 3
Taste and add more lemon juice, for zing (up to 1 tablespoon), or salt, for overall flavor and to cut the bitterness of the kale (up to ¼ teaspoon). Use as desired.
Step 4
Leftover pesto keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 10 days. Or, freeze it for up to 6 months. (I like to freeze pesto in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a freezer-safe bag.)
Step 5
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Chef's notes
Recipe adapted from my classic basil pesto and superfoods kale pesto.
Make it dairy free/vegan:
Omit the Parmesan. Substitute 1 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste, or generously sprinkle your finished dish with vegan Parmesan.
Make it nut free:
Replace the pecans with hemp seeds or pepitas (green pumpkin seeds).
How to toss pesto with pasta:
Before you drain your pasta, place a liquid measuring cup in the sink. Then, pour about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into the measuring cup before you drain off the rest of the water. That pasta cooking water is pure gold—it contains starches that create a creamy emulsion and help attach the sauce to the pasta. Off the heat, toss pasta, pesto and small splashes of pasta cooking water together until you’re satisfied with the consistency (I used roughly ⅓ cup reserved pasta cooking water with ¾ cup pesto and ½ pound of spaghetti).
