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Kale, walnut, and pecorino pesto

I adore pesto, but I complain about the cost of pine nuts all the time.  This one uses toasted walnuts and some lemon to kick the flavor up.  No complaints here - I could eat it with a spoon.  Adapted from a cooking class taken at Sur la Table.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup basil leaves
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed (about 3 cups)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2/3 cup toasted walnuts
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2/3 cup grated aged cheese (pecorino)
  • 2 lemons, zested and juiced
  • salt & pepper to taste


The Process:

In a food processor, pulse kale until pureed.  Add garlic, walnuts, and basil; pulse until roughly chopped.

Add olive oil slowly and pulse to combine.

Move pesto to a large bowl.  Stir in cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Stir by hand to combine.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pro Tips:

I am all about kitchen shortcuts, but you've gotta toast the nuts for this recipe.  It really does enhance the flavor.  I like to toast them a bag at a time and then freeze the toasted walnuts for use in this and other recipes.  There are nut-toasting directions at Smitten Kitchen, here, which I use for guidance.

Did you know you can freeze pesto?  You can!  You can freeze it in an ice cube tray and then pop out a cube or two to mix into your pasta.  Or you can freeze it in jars and take it down to have a week of wondrous pesto recipes.  This was a game changer for me.

Look, I'm not an olive oil snob by any means, but if you're making pesto, using it for brushing a flatbread, or generally eating it pretty much as-is, it's worth getting a slightly better olive oil.  We've settled on a good mid-grade olive oil for the homestead - good enough for pesto, but not so fancy that we feel guilty about using it to grease a pan.


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