Whole Wheat Pasta & Kale Pecan Pesto

Dark, leafy greens are a staple of Southern cuisine. Kale, mustard, dandelion, turnip, and of course collard greens appear frequently, cooked in any variety of ways from sautéed to braised and with every application creating a delicious outcome. With our whole wheat pasta and kale pecan pesto, we’ve chosen to cook the kale as little as possible, only briefly blanching it to keep its beautiful color. Paired with pecans, another abundant Southern ingredient, and wheat pasta, it makes for an earthy, fresh, and healthy dinner with hardly any time or work required.

Ingredients

16        ounces  whole wheat spaghetti 

1          large bunch     curly kale, stemmed   

1/4      cup      pecans, toasted           

1          clove   garlic, peeled 

1 1/2    tablespoons     freshly squeezed lemon juice 

2          teaspoons        fleur de sel     

1/3      cup      extra virgin olive oil  

1/2      cup      finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano   

Method

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water until al-dente. Remove 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the kale, and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Transfer the kale to a bowl filled with ice and water to stop the cooking and set aside.                      

3. Mince the pecans and garlic together in a food processor.                

4. Transfer the kale from the ice bath to the food processor using tongs or a large spoon and add the lemon juice and salt. Puree the mixture.                   

5. With the processor running, stream the olive oil into the kale puree using the feeder tube.            

6. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano and pulse just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.             

7. Place the cooled pasta into a large skillet with 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and warm over medium-low heat.                     

8. Add one-half cup of the pesto to the warmed pasta and toss, adding more pesto and cooking liquid if desired.     

Notes For Whole Wheat Pasta & Kale Pecan Pesto

• If you make the pesto while the pasta is cooking, you can get this meal done easily in thirty minutes.