Transform Leftover Kale into a Delicious Pesto

This recipe was born out of a year when my kale plants in my garden went wild, as as much as I love kale, I was kind of getting sick of it. So looking for ways to preserve it for future use, I found my way to this kale pesto. While not traditional in any sense, I took the idea of a pesto: green + nut + garlic + parmesan cheese + olive oil and make this hearty pesto like sauce, that could be frozen for later use. It’s a great way to use up a lot of kale and put together a nutrient dense, super quick, dinner. 

Types of kale 

I have a preference for tuscan kale, also known as dino or lacinato kale. It’s a dark green color and has flatter leaves. I find that it breaks down and blends a bit easier in the sauce, but if you cannot find tuscan kale, you can easily sub in for another variety or one of the alternative greens below. 

Variations on kale pesto 

Don’t have kale but another leafy green you want to use up? You can easily swap out kale for spinach, arugula, or collard greens. The only difference is the amount of time you’d want to blanch the green, 10 seconds for a tender green such as spinach or arugula, 30-45 seconds for a heartier green such as collards.  

Quick additions to this dish to add protein

My favorite ways to add additional protein to this kale pesto pasta include a rinsed can of white beans, such as cannellini, or shredded chicken (thank the universe for rotisserie chicken!). 

Okay, let’s get started. For this pesto, you need, a large bunch of kale, pistachios or walnuts, olive oil, garlic, parmesan reggiano cheese, lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, and water.  

Ingredients: 

• 1 large bunch kale (about 10 large leaves)
• ⅓ c raw pistachios or walnuts 
• ⅓ c extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated 
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ¼ c lemon juice 
• 12 oz dried pasta of your choice, I love using Googles Penne!

To make the pesto: 

Remove the ribs from kale. Cook kale leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water for 30 seconds, until bright green and wilted. Remove kale, and once slightly cooled, squeeze water from kale. Set aside. 

Pro tip: Keep the water boiling to cook pasta!

Blend nuts, oil, garlic, and ⅓ cup water in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add kale and parmesan. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice and blend until smooth. Add a little more water, if needed. Salt and black pepper to taste. 

To bring it all together: 

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Put pesto in a bowl. Add in cooked pasta, butter and a little pasta water. Toss until pasta is coated and butter is melted. Serve with more parmesan cheese. 

To store kale pesto:

Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. It can also be stored in the freezer. I like to use a large ice cube tray, like a souper cube to portion the pesto and freeze. Then transfer to a ziplock. This way you have pre portioned amounts of pesto. To use, you can thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or just cook with a little pasta water in a pan until fully thawed, while your pasta is cooking. 

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