Kale Walnut Pesto Pasta with Sausage
A creamy and smooth kale walnut pesto served with pasta and Italian sausage. It is a delicious winter pesto served with chopped walnuts and extra parmigiana.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 1492kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 large pot
- 1 large bowl
- 1 mesh strainer
Ingredients
- ½ lb pasta
- ½ lb sweet Italian sausage
- 1 head lacinato kale
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 basil leaves
- ½ cup parmigiana plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare the kale by removing the stems. Grab the thickest part of the kale stem between your thumb and forefinger. Create a tight circle with your opposite thumb and forefinger around the kale and pull off the leaves.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Boil the kale for 30 seconds, using tongs to turn often. Remove the kale and place it directly into a large bowl of ice. Turn the kale until it is cooled. Then, squeeze the water out of the kale and set it aside on a plate.
- In a food processor, combine walnuts, garlic, and salt. Process until walnuts are ground. Then add the kale and lemon juice. Start the processor and slowly drizzle the olive oil into the processor until it is blended smooth. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, raise the heat to medium. Add the sausage and let it sit for a few minutes undisturbed until it begins to sear. Then use a wooden spoon to break apart the sausage into small pieces.
- While searing the sausage, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the pasta. Boil until al dente.
- Halfway through boiling the pasta, ladle ½ cup of pasta water into the processor. Blend until combined. Then, pour the pesto into a mesh strainer to strain out all of the kale leaves. Strain the pesto into a bowl squeezing out as much of the liquid as possible. Then add the parmesan and whisk together.
- Strain the pasta and add it to the sausage along with ½ cup of pasta water. Mix well. Then stir in the strained kale pesto. Mix the pasta, sausage, and pesto together well over medium-low heat until the pesto begins to thicken. It should take about 5-8 minutes. Grate in extra parmesan and combine well.
- Serve pasta with chopped walnuts and parmigiana.
Video
Notes
- Blanching the kale will not only tenderize but keep its bright green color for a beautiful pesto dish.
- Straining the pesto from the kale gives you all the delicious flavor but removes all of the kale which can really change the texture of this smooth, creamy pesto. You can leave the kale in but it will be a much more rustic pesto pasta with ruffage.
- Breaking up the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon is important to the texture of the sauce. The small pieces of sausage combine well with a very smooth pesto.
- Salting the pesto with the parmesan after straining the pesto will bring out all the bright and nutty flavors in the dish.
- Cook the pesto with the pasta and pasta water to make it extra creamy. Cooking it on low for a few minutes will let the sauce thicken up and really coat the pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 1492kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 107g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 59g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 2401mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 366mg | Iron: 4mg
