This recipe is crazy delicious and crazy good for you! Kale is packed with disease-fighting nutrients, while the walnuts help lower cholesterol and are high in omega fatty acids. But the best part is that this healthy alternative to basil pesto takes under an hour to prepare – so perfect for weeknights. Even my picky daughter asked for seconds!
Check out these links for other healthy pasta and kale recipes!
Ingredients
- 8 roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 lb whole wheat pasta (e.g. rotini, linguini, etc.)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375F. Place tomatoes in a large glass baking dish, cut side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes and remove. Set aside, covered loosely with foil.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch kale for 1 minute; drain. Chill under ice water; drain well and pat dry. In food processor, pulse together kale, walnuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic until coarsely ground. Pulse in oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Using same large pot, cook pasta in boiling water for approximately 12 minutes (al dente). Drain and place back in pot, cover to keep warm.
- Coarsely chop roasted tomatoes. Combine kale pesto and roasted tomatoes with pasta. Serve warm, sprinkled with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
Image: tomatoes and friends via Flickr
