Spaghetti with Kale Pesto

By Joelene

Ingredients

• 8 oz. kale (Tuscan if available), stemmed, leaves torn (5 cups loosely packed leaves)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti

Preparation

Step 1

Add the kale, garlic, Parmesan, almonds, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Slowly add the olive oil with the machine running. Pulse until the mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth.

Cook the pasta in salted water. Drain and reserve 1 cup pasta water.

Add 3/4 cup pesto (any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for at least a week) and 2 Tbsp pasta water to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add pasta and toss until thoroughly coated, adding more pasta water by tablespoon if necessary to form a creamy sauce.