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Kale Pesto With Whole Wheat Pasta

4.4

(152)

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Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio

Chef and cookbook author Joshua McFadden’s justifiably famous kale pesto inspired us to keep spreading the word that there is still no better or more delicious way to eat your greens. This recipe is part of the 2020 Healthyish Feel Good Food Plan, a ten-day headstart toward eating well all year long. 

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1

large bunch Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed

Kosher salt

12

oz. farro pasta or whole wheat pasta

⅓

cup raw pistachios

¼

cup extra-virgin olive oil

1

garlic clove

1

oz. Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving

2

Tbsp. unsalted butter

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook kale leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet with tongs; keep water boiling. Let kale cool slightly; wring out excess water with your hands.

    Step 2

    Cook pasta in pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente.

    Step 3

    Blend nuts, oil, garlic, and ⅓ cup water in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add kale and 1 oz. Parmesan. Purée, adding water 1 Tbsp. at a time as needed, until smooth. Transfer pesto to a large bowl.

    Step 4

    Using tongs, transfer pasta to bowl with pesto; add butter and ⅓ cup pasta cooking liquid. Toss, adding more pasta cooking liquid by the tablespoonful if needed, until sauce coats pasta. Divide among bowls; top with more Parmesan and a few grinds of pepper.

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Reviews (152)

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  • Good taste, but next time will cook the kale longer (I used pre-chopped kale. which still had some of the ribs, which may have been part of the issue. Also, I'll add some basil and a squeeze of lemon on top for serving.

    • RStevens

    • Memphis, TN

    • 5/28/2024

  • Not great flavor, and the recipe calls for the kale to be barely cooked. Even as a purée, the leaves have a tough texture to them. I added chopped pistachio on might, and that was nice. The Parmesan and butter make very prominent flavors. I think this concept would be better served with more Mediterranean spices…

    • Sierra

    • 3/20/2023

  • I love this recipe! I have made it a lot over the past two years. I add a squeeze of lemon to the pesto as some others have mentioned. I also use sunflower seeds instead of pistachios. I tend to have them on hand for a salad topping, and it saves a little money.

    • Anonymous

    • 6/13/2022

  • Replaced the wheat pasta with Banza chickpea linguine and added some shredded chicken breasts as well. Very tasty combo. Love the kale pesto. Will make again.

    • Michael

    • La Jolla

    • 2/8/2022

  • Replaced the parmesan with nutritional yeast and the butter with Miso and added a Tablespoon of lemon juice.... absolutely wonderful. This will be a regular at our house.

    • Darren Wilcox

    • Wichita Kansas

    • 1/11/2022

  • Great! But needs a little bit of acid, probably from lemon. Goes beautifully with a tin of chili tuna though! Tuscan kale is hard to find where I am so I used green kale and cooked it longer.

    • Anonymous

    • Boston

    • 1/3/2022

  • Great Recipe.

    • Anonymous

    • 1/3/2022