By Elizabeth Stark
In cooler weather, kale pesto is a wonderful alternative to the traditional herbed version. In this easy recipe I used nutty toasted pepitas and lots of creamy Asiago cheese. The simple pesto was a great way to serve up kale, and is flavorful enough to use as a spread or on top of pasta.
When buying your kale, look for robust, bright green leaves for optimal flavor and texture.
More healthy recipe:
Spinach Salad with Broccoli, Red Peppers, and Onions
Toasted Pepita Kale Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 3 cups kale leaves, washed, dried, and chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice
- 1/4 cup shredded Asiago
- 2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 2 – 3 twists fresh ground black pepper
Directions
- In a small skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
- Combine all of the ingredients in your food processor and process until ingredients have reduced and are smooth, but have a bit of texture left.
- Scrape out of the food processor and serve.
