Homemade Kale and Cashew pesto
I absolutely love pesto, but sometimes it can be a little rich and over the top. Also, store bought pesto can be too oily and unhealthy to eat regularly. Last night, I made some homemade pasta dough and was waiting the obligatory 30 minutes while it rested. I wanted to create a fun and delicious sauce for the spaghetti and thought that pesto was the way to go. I didn’t have any basil or pine nuts, but figured I could adapt this recipe for the ingredients I had on hand. I served this on pasta, but you could also serve this as a spread in a sandwich, on some crostini, or as a yummy dip!
Ingredients:
- 1.5 C fresh kale (with center rib and stems removed)
- 1/2 C cashews (unsalted)
- 1/2 t salt
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 lemon juiced
- 4 T extra virgin olive oil
- A food processor or magic bullet
- some chopped bell pepper, kale, garlic, and cherry tomatoes for topping
- cooked pasta (I made fresh spaghetti! See my pasta dough recipe here)
Recipe:
1. Chop kale up roughly and remove center rib and stems.
2. Add all the garlic, and half of the kale, olive oil, cashews, and lemon juice to the food processor. I used my magic bullet which my parents just gifted me. (sidenote: it’s awesome!)
3. Pulse until roughly combined and then add in the salt and the rest of the kale, cashews, olice oil, and lemon juice.
4. Combine thoroughly until smoothly blended.
5. Cook fresh or packaged spaghetti accordingly to brand instructions.
6. Saute garlic, bell peppers, and kale in a skillet. Add in cherry tomatoes and lightly cook.
7. Toss 1 C pasta in approx. 1 T of kale pesto. Serve with sauteed veggies on top and with parmesan (optional) for taste. Enjoy!
