Kale Pesto Pasta for Date Night

Kale pesto pasta . . .

Date night at home? This kale pesto pasta is perfect when you’re in a pinch. It’s fresh, packed with flavor and takes just under 20 minutes to prep. You’re definitely going to want to PIN THIS RECIPE to save it for later. I can see myself keeping this kale pesto pasta in weekly rotation–it’s so easy to adjust depending on circumstance. You can easily add grilled chicken or double the recipe to make pasta for a crowd. 

My recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver’s super green spaghetti (also a favorite at our place). I’ve simply tweaked his list of ingredients to suit our taste. Psst! This dish is incredibly delicious served cold. Refrigerate any leftovers in glass canning jars like these for tomorrow’s lunch. You’ll thank me later.

The Recipe

Date Night Kale Pesto Pasta

• Total Time: 20

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Ingredients

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• Half a box of spaghetti noodles
• 2 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
• 3 large kale leaves, washed + removed from stalk
• Parmesan cheese, 1/4 c. grated + some shaved for garnish
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt + pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Bring a large pot to boil, and toss some salt in the water to help season the pasta. Cook the spaghetti noodles in the boiling pot according to package directions.
2. Add the kale leaves (stripped from the stem) and the whole garlic cloves to the boiling pasta water. Let those boil for 3-4 minutes, and carefully transfer them into a food processor or blender.
3. To the food processor/blender, add the lemon zest, 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese and 1-2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil. Blend until your desired pesto consistency. If needed, add a small amount of starchy pasta water to loosen up the sauce.
4. Once the pasta is al dente, remove from the boiling pot and drain. Do not rinse with cold water!
5. Put the spaghetti noodles in a large serving dish. Top the warm pasta with the pesto, halved cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, shaved parmesan cheese and salt + pepper. This is a deconstructed pesto pasta presentation–you’ll mix everything together just seconds before serving.
6. To finish it off, drizzle another bit of extra virgin olive oil over the entire dish.

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Notes

• Store any leftovers in glass canning jars with lids in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I’ve linked my favorite multi-purpose jars in the post above. It’s the perfect lunch because they flavors tend to intensify and marry the longer the pesto pasta sits.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2