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Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

May 3, 2016 by Joy the Baker 22 Comments

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Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

I know I know I know it’s not donuts that taste like cookies, but hang in there with me.

Occasionally we have to empty our produce drawer into our bodies.

Today we’re talking Kale Pesto and making a lazy salad. This pesto has all sorts of lives atop scrambled eggs, on toast, or warmed and dolloped on top of skirt steak.  It’s like, if you have Kale Pesto in your refrigerator you’ve got a meal no matter what.

Shall we?

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

First things first, get in the kitchen and raid your produce drawer of most green things and lots of lemons.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

I filled a food processor to the brim with kale leaves.

Other green things include scallions, fresh parsley, and later… pistachio nuts, amen.

Garlic is peeled, halved, and added to the bowl for blending.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

It’s nice being in the kitchen with Leela and Food with Friends. It’s simple and earnest and delicious without any fussy fuss.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

I love pistachios in pestos because you get to shell pistachios (and eat most of the stash), and the nuts are soft and salty and easy in the food processor.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Olive oil is streamed into the whirling kale and herbs along with the pistachios, garlic, lemon, and parmesan.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Look at this green goodness!

Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Kale pesto, heaps of it, are tossed with warm cooked orzo pasta.

This is about when I start eating it with the serving spoon before I can even get it on a serving platter.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Lettuce leaves, washed and shaken dry.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Salad.  Like adults do on occasion.

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Plus hard boiled egg.  Plus extra pistachios.  Plus more lemon juice.  Plus a grapefruit spritzer.  Plus a fine friend.  That’s a fine day.  Fine and good.

Print
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Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients

Scale

For the Kale Pesto

  • 4 cups roughly chopped kale (about 1 bunch)
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup shelled salted pistachios, coarsely chopped, plus more for serving
  • 1 small handful fresh parsley, stems and all
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

For the Salad

  • scant 1 pound orzo pasta, cooked to tender
  • 1 head butter or romaine lettuce
  • juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, combine kale, garlic, scallions, pistachios, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cheese. Pulse until just barely combined. Mix on low speed while slowly streaming the olive oil into the mixture. Blending until well chopped and completely emulsified. Taste and season according to your preference.
  2. Toss the pesto over warm, cooked orzo pasta and toss to combine. Tear lettuce leaves and divide between plates. Top with pasta salad. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Enjoy!


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4

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Filed Under: Healthy, Recipes, Savory

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Reader Interactions

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Questions
  1. Russell

    December 4, 2016 at 11:15 am

    Great collection of recipes. I would like to add a link to this page from my website, would you be okay with this? These recipes are great for people that are new at making pasta and want to learn more recipes, and I think these recipes could help out a lot of my visitors. Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      December 8, 2016 at 1:31 pm

      No, that’s great, go for it!

      Reply
  2. Borhan

    May 29, 2016 at 9:11 am

    This step by step pasta salad recipe is great. I’m in the process of making this for Memorial Day dinner. Thanks for the nice recipe.

    Reply
  3. Betsy

    May 12, 2016 at 11:02 am

    Made this and used it with beet, zucchini and carrot noodles so i feel slightly less guilty about the large spoonful(s) of pesto i mound on top. Delish!

    Reply
  4. gerry @ foodness gracious

    May 5, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    Yes to all of these flavors but pistachios are genius!!

    Reply
  5. vanessa

    May 5, 2016 at 2:41 pm

    I have everything except pistachios think walnuts will work???

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      May 5, 2016 at 5:06 pm

      yes! i think so!

      Reply
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