Kale walnut pesto
Adapted from a recipe by Ashley Graham in Questlove’s book Mixtape Potluck: A Dinner Party for Friends, Their Recipes, and the Songs They Inspire by Anastasia, Carnegie Hill CSA.This is one of my favorite recipes. It’s delicious, simple to prepare, and a great (might I add sneaky) way to eat your greens. Blanching the kale softens its texture and flavor, and lets you freeze leftovers should you have any. I like to make a big batch in the fall, when kale is plentiful, and freeze it in small jars to have pesto on hand in the winter.If you don’t have kale, you can use other greens like spinach or chard.
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ tsp salt plus more for salting the blanching water
- 1 bunch kale
- 3 oz pecorino cheese grated
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the walnuts out in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and slightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. After the first 4 minutes, check on the walnuts frequently so they don’t burn.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and add a generous amount of salt. Remove the ribs and stems from the kale (you can save these to use in another recipe, or add to your next veggie broth). Blanch the kale until it turns bright green, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, then pat dry.
- Transfer blanched kale to a food processor and add the walnuts, pecorino, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pulse until coarsely chopped, then add the oil last, a little at a time, in a steady stream, until everything is finely chopped and incorporated.
Notes
To serve with pasta, stir in ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid into the pesto until it is smooth, then toss with the pasta. The cooking liquid will help the pesto stick to the pasta. You could also cook the pasta in the blanching liquid after blanching the kale, to save water and help imbue the pasta with more flavor.