Author Notes
I love pestos that I are made from dark leafy greens. They are more nutritious, but they also hold their color and texture so well. For this I use curly kale and just a bit of basil. Walnuts add a woodsy flavor I like in winter, and winter citrus, in the form of Meyer or regular lemon zest, adds a fresh counterbalance to the kale. You could even substitute part of the olive oil in this recipe for Meyer lemon olive oil, for more of a citrus punch. I do toss wholegrain pasta into this pesto, but my favorite way to use it is on top of a big Tuscan grilled steak, sliced up, and dripping with kale pesto. —KerryFrenchRev
Ingredients
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1
clove garlic
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1/4 cup
chopped walnuts
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3 cups
(packed) curly kale leaves
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1 bunch
basil (about 1/3 cup, a small bunch)
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6 tablespoons
olive oil
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6
twists black pepper on the pepper mill
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1/4 cup
grated Pecorino Romano
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Zest of 1 Meyer lemon or regular lemon
Directions
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In the food processor, blitz the garlic and walnuts together until finely chopped. Add the kale and basil, and blitz again until finely chopped. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and whiz to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Pecorino and lemon zest. You could add these to the food processor as well, but stirring them in later gives a better texture. I either toss this pesto with one pound cooked whole wheat or multigrain pasta, or spoon it over big Tuscan grilled steaks.
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