The Wonders of Winter Pesto
This winter pesto with kale is a reasonable substitute when summer is long gone, but snow makes you ache for summer produce. Are you now dreaming of berries and peaches, fresh corn, and basil for pesto alla genovese?
Pestos can be made with a variety of greens, like kale or spinach. And you can also make broccoli pesto or asparagus pesto or even green bean pesto.
Tips and tricks
The winter pesto base
Winter pesto is just a variation on a theme. If you are making this kale pesto or using other greens like basil or spinach, you can add them directly to the food processor without cooking.
Make sure to wash and dry your greens well. If you are using a more substantial vegetable, parboil or roast it first.
Tip from the wise quacker: Reserve the cooked asparagus tips or broccoli florets to give your dish a little bit more texture.
Making the pesto
A food processor is the easiest way to make pesto. Or you can make your pesto the traditional way with a mortar and pestle if you are so inclined.
Pesto recipes all use variations of the same formula. Use a clove of garlic, an ounce or two of Parmesan, a few tablespoons of toasted pine nuts or other toasted nuts or seeds, a half teaspoon of salt or so, maybe a tablespoon or so of lemon juice. Then drizzle olive oil into your food processor to get to your preferred consistency.
How to serve winter pesto
Use this kale pesto or any winter pesto to make a pesto pasta or orzo pesto salad. Or you can use it mixed with eggs or as a pesto dressing with chicken or fish.
FAQs
You can toast nuts and seeds on the stove top or in the oven, though I think you get more even toasting using the oven. This is one of those times where you just have to use your nose. Nuts are toasted when they smell … nutty.
Absolutely. I save any extra pesto in a tupperware in the freezer and just use it as needed. You can freeze it in ice cube trays to make it easier to defrost.
Related recipes
Check out other pesto recipes including this pesto pasta with tuna. Or, if you’re looking for ways to use up kale and other greens, try this kale and cheese quick bread or these spinach and feta muffins.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Winter Pesto with Kale
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 ounce Parmesan plus more if serving with pasta
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1 bunch kale (about ½ pound including stems), trimmed from stems
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Put the garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts, and salt into the food processor and pulverize.1 clove garlic, 1 ounce Parmesan, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add kale leaves, lemon juice, and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and process for about 10 seconds.1 bunch kale (about ½ pound including stems), trimmed from stems, 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Scrape down sides of food processor and process for another 10 seconds.
- Adjust to taste with additional olive oil, salt, or lemon juice as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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