Today is National Kale Day! Yes, I have another kale recipe, a kale pesto recipe to be exact, because my basil is all gone, but the farm is in full supply of kale, and at 81 degrees in October, I still have a ton of parsley.
The usual ingredients will show up, olive oil, pecorino cheese, garlic, and pinenuts. I’m adding lemon because kale needs acid and cracked red pepper.
One of my recipes will be in this free on-line kale cookbook today.
This is the easiest kale pesto recipe to make except for one thing. Do take out those nasty little ribs between the leaves. I prefer the lacinato or Tuscan but today, the farm gave me curly kale and that’s okay, as it’s getting all chopped up.
Serve on spaghetti, toast bread, crackers, atop potatoes, chicken, fish, and tacos. It’s your call. We are celebrating National Kale Day with orecchiete pasta and this kale pesto recipe.
In Celebration of National Kale Day, here are a Few of My Favorite Ways to Eat Kale plus a Kale Pesto Recipe
Kale Winter Salad and Why You Should Eat Kale
Melted Tuscan Kale – This is popular and that surprises me. I use this with my Paleo Meatballs for full on grain free day.
Kale in Chicken Soup – Add kale to any kind of chicken soup, bean soup, vegetable. Wait till you see the cauliflower sausage soup that’s coming.
Kale Italian Ground Beef Stir Fry with pancetta, peas. Sounds like a common dish. It is; but it’s a healthy dish and you’ll want to lick the pan.
Tuscan Kale Salad – This is a big favorite out in restaurants right now. Almonds, lemon, raisins, garlic, olive oil.
Kale Salad with Apples with Maple Vinaigrette A recent food blogger said, “this is the best kale salad of my life.” I said, “I know.” Sweet potatoes are roasted with olive oil and a pinch of cayenne first.
Kale Biscuits with Bacon & Blue Cheese
Sauteed Kale with Poached Eggs
More Pesto Recipes
Happy Healthy Kale Day. Follow me on Instagram. I’d love to connect there. My feed is at the bottom of the post.
- 8 cups kale, ribs removed, chopped
- ⅔ cups olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
- lemon sea salt (or regular sea salt)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ⅓ cup pecorino cheese
- Put kale, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts in food process.
- Process until kale becomes the right consistency. Add more olive oil if you need to.
- By hand, add in cheese, salt, pepper, cracked red pepper.
- Kale can be bitter. Add in a little bit of pasta water if the pesto seems dry, a tablespoon at a time.
- The crushed red pepper helps to offset the bitterness.
- Once you toss the pesto with the pasta, it will balances out in flavor.
I love kale. This is such a great idea to replace basil. I never tried it before but I think I will now.
What a great collection of ideas for using kale! The pesto sounds amazing, and that winter salad is absolutely gorgeous!