Day 66.
Normally I make pesto out of spinach instead of the traditional basil (it’s cheaper and I think it’s tastier) so this was not a huge leap. And I almost always use walnuts instead of pine nuts, so that’s what I did here, too. I used the kale from my CSA box, mixed it up with some olive oil and walnuts and wallah!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, ribbed and chopped
- 1 C walnuts (or pine nuts if you prefer)
- 1/2 C olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- House seasoning
Directions
Put everything in the food processor and blend until it’s grainy mush, still a little chunky, but saucy. If you prefer more or less sauciness, adjust the amount of olive oil or you could even add some veggie stock. This recipe makes the raw pesto sauce. To serve, heat on your stove top (or microwave) and serve over pasta or on top of “chicken” with some mozzarella. Yum. If you’re not doing vegan today, you could also add some parmesan to the sauce base.
The Results
Fantastic! It’s a little richer than my usual spinach version, so this will be excellent on pesto chicken, too. I had mine over spaghetti and added a bit of extra olive oil to mine and a lot of extra oil to the husband’s (he likes it saucy). Our toddler loved it, too.
What’s your favorite pasta sauce or topping?
This post is shared at·Mouthwatering Mondays, Cravings, Menu Inspiration Monday, Muffin Tin Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday,·Happy Homemaker Monday,·Homemaker Monday.·Meatless Mondays,·Mingle Monday, Make it with … Monday and·Hearth and Soul.
I love pesto and never thought to make it with anything other than basil! great idea, thanks
I love kale and I love pesto–never thought to combine the two. Sounds like a winning combination!
Super yum! have a bag of russian kale in my fridge – planning on enjoying this this week!Blessings!http://bit.ly/i5pPMF
I tried kale for the first time last week and wasn't too keen on it (love chard, spinach) so this is a great and tasty way to use it. I will try this for my next meatless Monday. Thanks for sharing this.
Oh Kristi! I adore kale, and I adore pesto! I have made arugula pesto before and loved it, so this would definitely be something to try when my kale comes in! All the best, Alex
I'll admit it. I did a little dance when I thought of it, though I'm sure someone has done it before. I'm glad you all like the sound of it. Happy cooking! Let me know how it turns out if you try it.