I don’t think I’ve been to a single restaurant in the past 12 months that didn’t have a kale salad on it. Which has led me to declare kale the vegetable du year (past winners include butternut squash, beets, brussel sprouts). This weekend I wanted to try a different way to include this super healthy green into my diet and whipped up a kale pesto. It’s much cheaper and healthier than a typical basil pesto, but just as delicious.

I hope you guys all have a great weekend. It’s been a long week, and I think we all deserve a pasta-filled couple of days.

Kale Pesto

Makes 1 1/2 cups, enough for 6-8 servings of pasta

1/2 cup chopped pine nuts or walnuts
8 ounces kale, trimmed, rinsed and chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Toast nuts in the oven or in a frying pan until they are golden and fragrant. This only takes a couple minutes so keep an eye on them. Let cool.

Wash and dry your kale and trim all of the stems out. You should just have the leaves left.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Have a large bowl of cold water ready. Drop the chopped kale into the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, swirl the kale around a few times until it becomes limp.

Drain the kale and plunge it into the cold water. Drain again, then place the kale on a clean dish towel and blot away the moisture.

Place the nuts, kale, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth. You may need to add more olive oil to reach desired consistency.

To refrigerate, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto. Will stay fresh for up to 3 days. To freeze, place desired portions in small containers with plastic directly on the surface of the pesto, or place in plastic freezer bags, and freeze for up to two months.

Enjoy with a little parmesan cheese and white wine.