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?   

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

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. 

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

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.  

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

Look at this green goodness!

Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.  

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. 

Lettuce leaves, washed and shaken dry.  

Salad.  Like adults do on occasion.  

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.  

Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Print Recipe

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

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

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