Super Kale Pesto
Total Time
13 minutes
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(91)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cups packed kale (about 1 small bunch)
- ¾ cup hemp seeds or toasted walnuts or pecans
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- ¾ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- Red pepper flakes, optional (if you want to add some kick)
- ¼ cup flaxseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil (more if desired)
- Entirely optional: ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound (16 ounces) whole grain pasta, like linguine
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
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Preparation
Chef’s notes
Recipe loosely adapted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook.
Suggestions for leftovers:
If you intend to have leftover pasta, it’s best to store the noodles and pesto separately. Avoid reheating pesto (it will lose its vibrance and some of its flavor)—especially if you used flaxseed oil, which is heat sensitive. To serve, bring the pesto to room temperature and add a little water if necessary to get the right consistency.
Make it vegan:
This pesto is vegan as long as you skip the Parmesan.
Make it gluten-free:
This pesto is gluten-free; just be sure to serve it on gluten-free pasta or whatever else.
Make it nut-free:
Use hemp seeds instead of walnuts or pecans.
Recommended equipment:
If you’re in the market for a food processor, I love this small, highly rated Cuisinart food processor (affiliate link).