Lemony Kale Pesto
A (Citrus) Twist on a Classic Pesto Recipe
I absolutely love pesto and will almost always opt for a pesto dish if I see it on a menu. This recipe has recently become really close to my heart - it uses the classic base of an Italian pesto, but has a few subtle twists to it as a way to change up the usual.
Pesto is an Italian sauce originating from the northern part of Italy. A traditional pesto is made of pine nuts, basil, parmesan, and olive and is absolute perfection on its own. In this recipe, though, I’ve made a few fun additions to up the nutrition level and introduce more flavors to use in different dishes.
This pesto has the addition of blanched kale, which is jam packed with vitamins, lemon juice and zest, introducing a bright, citrusy flavor, and toasted pine nuts, for a deeper nuttier flavor. My lemony kale pesto recipe is perfect on pasta, but is also great as a dipping sauce for vegetables or a finishing sauce over chicken, salmon, or tofu. Or, try it on my Pesto Tuna Melt.
Tips for a Successful Lemony Kale Pesto Recipe
The beauty of making this pesto recipe, is that it’s quite simple to make but makes a huge impact and seems really impressive! To help make sure you’re successful making lemony kale pesto, here are a few tips:
- Blanching the kale helps to soften the kale and brighten the green color. While this isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s strongly encouraged. After blanching the kale and then dunking it into an ice bath, squeeze out as much water as possible so you don’t add more liquid to the pesto than necessary.
- Lightly toasting the pine nuts is slightly different from other pesto recipes I’ve seen, but I love the extra depth of flavor it adds. It adds a very subtle toastiness that pairs nicely with the kale and lemon flavors.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can also make this with a high speed blender.
- In the case you have additional pesto leftover, freeze it into an ice cube tray for future use. You can grab as little or as much as you need for future dishes.’
- If the pesto is looking a little dry and too paste-like, add an extra drizzle of olive oil to help thin it out.
Recipe Details
The beauty of modern technology makes this pesto recipe incredibly easy! All you need is a food processor, or even a high-speed blender, your ingredients, and your beautiful self and you’re off to the races!
Before you get started with the pesto, give your pine nuts a little toast. I’ve done this in the oven in the recipe listed below, but you can also do this on the stove top. Whichever you find easiest! While the nuts are toasting, quickly blanch the kale. If you’ve never blanched kale (or any vegetable for that matter) don’t sweat it. Blanching is a technique to very quickly, but lightly, cook a vegetable to brighten their color and soften them ever so slightly. I’ve opted to do this in this recipe as it gives the kale a beautiful green color and removes some of the bitterness found in raw kale. Once you’ve blanched the kale, make sure to cool it quickly in an ice bath and then squeeze out any excess water so you don’t end up with a watery pesto.
Once your nuts and kale are ready, you can begin the final assembly for your lemony kale pesto. In the bowl of a food processor, add the toasted pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, and garlic cloves. Pulse these ingredients on high until they are fully combined and have become paste-like (paste… pesto… see where the name comes from?). Add in the blanched kale, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Pulse on high a few times more until your perfect pesto is the desire you prefer.
Enjoy right away or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days!
If you make this lemony kale pesto recipe, I’d love to hear how it goes! Be sure to tag @lauralovestocook in your photos and leave a review below!
xxoxx laur
A bright lemon-forward kale pesto perfect for pasta, dipping vegetables, or to pour over a protein at dinner time. It takes a classic Italian pesto recipe and adds the added health benefit of kale and the citrusy complexity of additional lemon.
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 3 cup chopped kale
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- Juice of 1 medium lemon
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the ¼ cup pine nuts on a small baking tray. Toast the pine nuts in the oven for 5-7 minutes, giving the try a little shake halfway through to flip the pine nuts onto the other side. Remove from the oven once they are lightly toasted and set aside to cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, add ice and cold water to a large bowl and set aside to use as your ice bath. Once the water is boiling, place the 3 cups of chopped kale into the water, giving it one stir to ensure all pieces of kale are fully submerged. Let the kale cook in the boiling water for 1 minute (keep an eye on the clock) and remove with a stainless steel spider. Immediately place into the ice bath to cool and stop the cooking process.
Let the kale cool completely in the ice bath and the remove and place on a paper towel. Squeeze out any excess water and set aside.
In a food processor, add the ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, 1 cup fresh basil leaves, and 3 cloves of garlic. Pulse on high until the ingredients are completely melded together and paste-like.
Add the ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, the juice and zest of one medium lemon, ½ cup parmesan cheese, the blanched kale, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse on high until the ingredients are broken down and sauce like. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve immediately or transfer to an air-tight and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
