Kale Pesto

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 5

Servings: servings

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

This Kale Pesto is totally vegan, easy, and delicious! Made with fresh greens, walnuts, and Italian seasonings, you’ll want to add it to all of your favorite meals.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

3 cups torn kale stems removed (about 1 large bunch)
1 cup basil leaves tightly packed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon zested and juiced
½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste

If Serving With Pasta

1 pound pasta 16 ounces
1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid

Instructions

If Serving With Pasta: Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid before straining.
Meanwhile, pulse the kale, basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, lemon zest & juice and salt in a food processor until smooth.
Return pasta to the pot and add pesto. Toss to coat, adding pasta cooking liquid as needed to thin the sauce.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information is for pesto only. It does not include calorie count for pasta.

How to store it

It’s best to store pasta and pesto separately to avoid losing some flavor and vibrancy. Keep the pesto in a shallow airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. When you’re ready to use it again, allow it to come to room temperature before using it on your meal.
If you want to freeze the kale pesto, spoon some into ice cube trays and then freeze. Once they’re completely frozen, transfer the pesto cubes to a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 1 year.

Variations

Swap the kale for another fresh green like parsley. You can also use arugula to make my arugula pesto instead.
Substitute the walnuts for almonds, pecans, pine nuts, or pistachios.
Make it nut-free by replacing the walnuts with hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, or more basil and oil.
Swap out the lemon juice for another acid like white or apple cider vinegar.
Feel free to add in freshly grated parmesan, pecorino, or nutritional yeast before blending.

Nutrition