Kale Pesto Pasta...YUM!

I have other things I need to get done tonight, but I can't hold out on writing this recipe post until tomorrow because it is absolutely delicious!

I recently had a BAD experience with Kale so I tried to redeem myself by cooking up a yummy Kale recipe tonight...and I sure did! Let me back-track though. I recently looked up a sautéed Kale recipe that included carrots and radish and it was AWEFUL! Absolutely disgusting! It was a waste of cooking time and ingredients because I don't think ANYONE would eat it! So tonight I was a little intimidated to cook with Kale again. 

I've never made pesto in my life, but I know what the standard ingredients are so I figured I would change it up and make a Kale version. It was a huge hit with me, my husband and even our 2 1/2-yr-old (I put it over pasta and called it super-hero noodles). :)

So here it is plain and simple:

Roughly 4 cups of chopped Kale (stems removed)
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
2 cloves raw garlic
1/4 tsp of lemon zest (actually I think it was slightly less)
3 TBsp parm cheese
Salt (not too much because you get a lot in the cheese)
1/2 tsp Pepper
Olive Oil (about 1/4 cup)

-Fill sauce pan with salted water, add Kale and bring to a boil. Boil for about 8 minutes.
-Drain and blanch in ice water for about 30 seconds. Squeeze out as much excess water as possible (you will be left with a ball of Kale about the size of a Golfball or Tennisball, depending on how much you use).
-While the Kale is cooking, toast the walnuts (oven or pan).
-Place all ingredients in food processor, excluding oil. Turn on.
-Slowly stream in olive oil. You may end up using less or more depending on the consistency you desire.
-Finally, give it a taste and adjust ingredients as necessary. 

It looks like fresh-cut grass but I promise it tastes amazing!

I lightly sauteed 1/2 onion (course chopped) and about 10 grape tomatoes (halved) and added them to the mixture once I took it out of the food processor. 

ENJOY OVER YOUR FAVORITE PASTA!!! Tip: when you drain your pasta, reserve just a bit of the cooking liquid so it mixes smoothly with the pesto. This also helps reduce the amount of oil you need in the mixture.

Served with my homemade-marinade chicken breast

This would also be great on a sandwich, mixed in rice or quinoa, as a dip, mixed into ground meat for meatballs, or on a piece of cardboard! It really is that good!

Best of Health,
Amanda Chubb
www.healthyathomept.com
www.facebook.com/healthyathomept