Kale Pesto Pasta

Method

1. 1

   Step 1

   Weigh the kale: 100 g for the pesto and 50 g to toss through the pasta. Rinse it all under cool running water, rubbing the leaves gently, then drain well. Strip the leaves from the thick stems; finely chop the tender upper stems and add them to the pesto leaves. Slice the 50 g of leaves into thin ribbons.

   Tip: Keep the thickest stems for a soup or stock instead of throwing them away.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Bring about 4 l of water to the boil in a large pot and add the coarse salt. Fill a bowl with iced water. Drop the pesto leaves and chopped stems into the boiling water for 30–60 seconds, just until bright green and wilted, then lift them straight into the iced water with a slotted spoon. Keep the pot boiling for the pasta.

   Tip: Blanching softens kale’s bitter edge and keeps the pesto vivid green. Skip it if you like a punchier, rawer pesto.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant and lightly golden. Tip them onto a plate to cool.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Drain the blanched kale and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Put it in the food processor with the walnuts, garlic, Parmesan and lemon juice and pulse to a coarse paste. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream until you have a thick, spoonable pesto. Season with salt and taste; add more lemon if it needs brightness.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the packet, usually 9–12 minutes, until al dente. One minute before the end, add the kale ribbons to the pot.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Before draining, scoop out about 250 ml of the starchy cooking water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and kale and return them to the warm pot, off the heat.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Add the pesto and about 100 ml of the reserved water and toss for 1 minute until the sauce coats every piece and looks glossy; add more water, a splash at a time, if it seems thick. Adding the pesto off the heat lets the cheese melt smoothly instead of turning stringy, and keeps the green bright.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Season with black pepper, taste for salt and lemon, and serve straight away with extra Parmesan if you like.

Cooking tips

• Squeeze the blanched kale really well — extra water makes a thin, dull pesto.
• Salt the pasta water well: it seasons the sauce when you use it to loosen the pesto.
• New to kale? See how to strip the stems and prepare the leaves.

Storage & leftovers

Refrigerate leftover pasta in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and eat within 3–4 days; reheat with a splash of water until steaming hot. Extra pesto keeps in a clean jar in the fridge, its surface covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for 3–4 days, or freeze it in an ice-cube tray.