Kale and Walnut Pesto

Kale and Walnut Pesto is the best thing I’ve made in a very long time!  Not because it tastes great, and not because it took literally five minutes to make, and not because it’s a healthier way to dress up a pasta dish either.  It’s because of all of those things, in addition to the fact that McKenna loved it and so did John.e.  This one jar yielded a whole lot of pesto and I was able to prepare three meals with it.  That in itself is reason enough to love this recipe!

The more I blog about food, the more I learn about how food grows and actually gets to our dinner table.  Take kale, for instance.  I always thought that kale was a summer product, but it turns out, kale is a fall harvest; in fact, it can grow well into the winter.  And who knew it came in so many varieties?

Our friend Tracy recently gave us a huge bag of kale she had harvested from her family’s garden.  I think there were three different types, but my favourite was the dinosaur kale.  It tasted sweeter and the leaves were more delicate.  That doesn’t mean that I’ve forsaken curly kale though.  Otherwise, how would I get my kale chip fix?

In this particular recipe, I used the kale that Tracy gave us, and I used a combination of all three types.  If you are lucky enough to have a Tracy in your life, then take them up on that offer for free kale and use it all.  If you need to run to the market to buy kale to make this recipe, any variety will do just fine.  You don’t need to purchase a few different types to achieve a delicious pesto.  If I had to select just one type for this recipe, I would use the curly kale, because that’s the type most readily available and familiar.

One of the coolest things about this recipe is that you don’t need to cook, bake, roast, or boil anything.  You simply wash and prep the veggies and toss them all into your food processor.  And voila!  Kale and Walnut Pesto!

Uses for this recipe are obvious.  You can toss it with some cooked pasta, like you see in the photos.  You can spread it on some good crusty bread, throw on some sliced tomatoes and a bit of cheese for a simple, rustic, delicious sandwich.  You could heat a tablespoon or so of it in a skillet and toss in a couple eggs to make a kale pesto scrambled egg.  Try adding a few tablespoons to some hot mashed potatoes or cauliflower.  Or even add a bit to your homemade meatballs or into a simple broth soup. 

I told you, Dear Reader, the possibilities are endless with this Kale and Walnut Pesto!

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Kale and Walnut Pesto

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 34

Author Lord Byron's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 8 cups kale, washed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped
• 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

• Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and walnuts to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
• Add the kale, and pulse until well chopped and pulp-like.
• Add the parmesan and olive oil. Pulse until all ingredients are well combined.
• Transfer to a clean, sterile mason jar and store for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Notes

Serving size is one tablespoon.