Kale and Walnut Pesto

We almost never use a recipe when making pesto. Once you've made it a few times, you get a sense for the proportions that you like. What we have here is a guideline, but feel free to stray from this if you find it too garlicky (or not garlicky enough!), too cheesy (or not cheesy enough!), or too lemony. As with any recipe, it's important to taste as you go and adjust it to your tastes. You can always add more of something later on. 

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  • Serves: 2
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 0.5 pound Kale leaves
  • 0.5 cup Walnuts
  • Lemon, juiced and zested
  • 3 Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly-ground Black Pepper
  • 0.5 cup Olive Oil
  • 0.75 cup Parmesan, grated
Directions
  1. Toast walnuts in a dry saute pan until lightly browned. Add to a food processor with coarsely chopped garlic and a large pinch of lemon zest.
  2. Add kale and 2 tbsp lemon juice to food processor. It may be necessary to add kale in batches. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Once all of the kale is chopped, taste for seasonings and flavor. Add more garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper as desired.
  4. With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil. You are looking for a loose paste-like consistency.
  5. Transfer pesto to a bowl and fold in Parmesan. Serve with pasta, toasted bread, grilled chicken, or roasted salmon.