2.06.2011

Kale Pesto Pasta

Do you remember those Popeye the Sailor cartoons?  Some damsel would be in distress and Popeye would need to somehow summon some superhuman strength to save his sweetheart.  He turned to none other than spinach, a cousin of our mighty green.  While we won't be focusing on spinach during this post we were searching the grocery store for some type of winter veggie to give us some nutritional fortitude and happened upon our hero: kale.

While kale might seem intimidating and dare I say bland, we would encourage you to try it anyway. We found it to be utterly scrumptious (not to mention it imbued us with freakish strength for about four hours after consumption).

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Kale Pesto Pasta
Hardly adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Serves 2

2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 small shallots, peeled
1 small bunch of kale (4 ounces), stalks removed
1/6 cup olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese, plus more for topping
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6-8 oz. uncooked penne pasta
Salt and pepper to taste

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Boil a large pot of water (you will use this later to boil your pasta) and add whole garlic and shallots. Stir around in the water for 2-3 minutes, then add kale. The kale should only be in the water long enough to turn a bright green color--10 seconds! Be careful not to overcook.

Quickly remove kale, garlic and shallots from the water and transfer to a food processor.* Add olive oil, lemon juice, and feta. Puree the mixture until smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste. You may need more lemon juice too, depending on how acidic you like it. If you want it to be a bit thinner, just grab a tablespoon of the pasta water out of the pot and mix in. This mixture is all about how you like it, so make sure to taste it a lot!

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*If you have an extra set of hands, have your souschef put the pasta into the boiling water here. If not, do it as soon as the pesto is finished. Either way, your dinner will be tasty...you'll just be eating it faster.

Combine pesto and pasta in a bowl. Sprinkle with feta and enjoy!

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8 comments:

Unknown said...

yummers. totally going to make this for my little vegetarian.

Laura said...

Definitely going to try this recipe. I've sauteed kale in olive oil and garlic as a side dish and love it. This looks fast and easy, great for a busy week night.

Anonymous said...

dannnnnnng this looks delicious!

Alex Griffith said...

strangely drawn to this green cuisine. don't know who i am anymore

Jackie at Phamfatale.com said...

Very original pesto. I love kale! is it very necessary to boil the garlic? Does it make the garlic milder?

Le Man said...

Hey Jackie! I am glad you liked the recipe. I don't think it is absolutely necessary to boil the garlic. I think the boiling softens up the garlic and makes it easier to blend with the rest of the ingredients but I am sure it mellows out the flavor as well.

Anonymous said...

Dear Le Man and Wife,

Bon!

I would like to tell you how to make Bananas Fosters! First it is my favorite. Second it gives you freakish strength which is good for cooking more.

Serves: Anyone who wants to eat this delicious, scrumptious ;) meal

1. Take everything you love (including husband aka Le Man)

2. Mix until its looks good

3. Enjoy!

4. Very Bon!

All is love and word is bond.

sheila @ Elements said...

Sounds amazingly delicious!!! I would love it!!! :)

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