Kale Walnut Pesto

Kale Walnut Pesto

Ingredients

Yields about 1 cup of pesto

1 bunch of kale (roughly ½ lb / 226 gr), de-stemmed and coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled

⅓ cup walnuts

juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, grated

2 tablespoons Romano cheese, grated

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup / 60 ml cooking water, plus more if needed

Directions

Bring a heavily salted pot of water to a roiling boil. Add garlic and kale (making sure to submerge it in the water) and blanch for 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon fish the kale and the garlic out of the water and transfer to a colander. Allow to cool slightly and using the back of a spoon (or your hands if you dare) squeeze out some of the water.

In a food processor add walnuts and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the blanched kale, garlic and lemon juice. Pulse until the kale is broken up and nearly smooth. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides. Add Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and red pepper flakes (if using). Pulse again and while the food processor is running slowly add the water - one tablespoon at a time - until the pesto reaches a creamy consistency. You might need to use less or more water depending on the quality of the kale used.

Transfer kale pesto to a bowl and using a spoon stir in the olive oil until it’s completely absorbed.

If the kale pesto looks too thick, add more water (not oil) one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.

If not using straight away, store the pesto in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator. It will keep for 1 - 2 weeks. It's important to cover the pesto with a tiny layer of olive oil on top, it will prevent the oxidation.