Robust kale and earthy walnuts make a heavenly pesto sauce. Tossed with gluten-free pasta (and garnished with a hint of chilli) it's an incredibly easy and nutritious weeknight meal.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
Pesto
6 large kale leaves, stems removed and torn into large pieces
½ cup walnuts
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup olive oil
½ small clove garlic, finely diced
zest of 1 lemon
sea salt and ground black pepper
250 grams gluten-free spaghetti (I use Ceres Organics quinoa spaghetti)
METHOD
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the kale leaves for 1 minute before plunging into icy-cold water to halt the cooking and help retain the bright colour. Squeeze tightly to remove as much water as possible.
Add to a food processor, along with the other pesto ingredients and process until a smooth-ish paste. Season generously.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Drain and retain ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the spaghetti, cooking water and pesto together.
Divide pesto among 4 bowls. Scatter some finely grated parmesan and red chilli flakes (if using) over the top. Serve immediately.
Kelly Gibney
Kelly Gibney is a food writer, stylist and photographer based in Auckland. For more wholefood recipe inspiration head over to her blog, bonnie delicious.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
Related Content
latest issue:
126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.