Creamy Kale Pesto

This kale pesto is shockingly good: rich, bright, garlicky, and the kind of sauce you eat by the spoonful. Blanching the kale keeps it mellow, silky, and delicious on everything.

I realize you’re here looking at a kale pesto recipe, but I’ll be straight with you: I didn’t think this was a good idea. I figured it would taste vegetal and cabbage-y, with none of the sweet, heady fragrance of basil. What’s even the point?

But as I dug into all the different types of pesto, I remembered that not all of them start with big, aromatic herbs. Some are more subtle, but still so good. Pesto trapanese, for example, is more about the rubbly almonds and bright tomato than any leafy herb. 

Kale pesto works the same way. The other ingredients carry it way farther than you’d expect, and it turns out this kale sauce is delicious. Like eat-it-by-the-spoonful delicious.

Here’s why it works: I blanch the kale to soften the leaves and take the raw edge off. Then I lean on pecorino and parmesan for a strong umami backbone and lots of salty richness. Mascarpone adds just a touch of creaminess. Parsley and lemon keep it fresh.

Together, it becomes a flavorful, garlicky sauce that’s as good on pasta as it is tossed with a pot of brothy beans or smothered over hot grilled chicken.

And bonus: the deep green color stays gorgeous. No quick oxidative browning like basil!

Here's how to make kale pesto:

A few recipe tips:

• Use any kale you like, but don’t skip the blanching step.
• While you’re blanching kale, double it and save half for this garlicky sautéed kale. Greens for the week, done!
• Skip the ice bath. After blanching, just run cold water over the kale in the sink to stop the cooking.
• Process the kale, parsley, and garlic first until very finely chopped. Kale is more fibrous than tender herbs, and getting it uniform makes all the difference. Once it’s smooth, pulse in everything else: good pesto still has texture from the nuts.
• For a super fun homemade meal, make busiate pasta (use this semolina pasta dough) and toss them with kale pesto. You'll feel like you're living in Italy!

Print