This vibrant green kale pesto is a punchy, zesty raw pasta sauce. Vegan-friendly and ready in just 20 minutes, the meal is simple to make and stores well. It combines highly nutritious fresh ingredients with the satisfying texture of tubular pasta. The recipe comes with a variety of options to substitute ingredients, so you can make this meal your own. If you’re craving something with a bit more heat, try Spicy Harissa Pasta, infusing your dish with a fiery kick that’s sure to tantalize your taste buds.
Why you’ll love this Vegan Kale Pesto Pasta
- Quick, ready in 20 mins: This is a great dish for weeknights. The perfect go-to recipe when you’re after something easy, fast and satisfying.
- Lots of flavor: The recipe is loaded with fresh and grassy kale to bring a vibrant green to your meal, plus zesty lemon, garlic, raw cashews, olive oil, and salt each bring their own flavor to delight your taste buds.
- Vegan friendly and simple: You won’t need any unusual ingredients to complete this recipe. Although there’s no cheese, the meal is still full of flavor.
- Wholesome: This raw sauce combines nutritious greens with healthy fats from cashews and olive oil.
- Great to prepare in advance: It can be stored in the fridge for 1 week while retaining its colour well.
Ingredients
- Kale: You can use any kind of kale. I have made this with Tuscan and curly and both work well. I typically use about 4 cups worth of chopped kale. You can also use pre-chopped kale from a bag, but be sure to remove the stems.
- Pasta: Rigatoni and penne are both great as the pesto gets inside the tubes and coats them well, but you can use any kind.
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin, cold pressed. As there are so few ingredients, you can really taste the olive oil in this recipe. Some olive oils can be quite peppery and full-bodied depending on the variety of the olive and how mature they were when harvested, so buy the best quality you can afford, ideally one you know and already like the taste of. Be aware some olive oils marked as “light taste” are often just blended vegetable oils and are not as healthful as extra virgin olive oil. How to buy and use good olive oil.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon is a must as it has so much punchy flavor and replaces the acidic tang of a sharp cheese used in classic pestos. Don’t use bottled lemon as the flavor is not as potent.
- Raw Cashews: These give a creaminess to the pesto and compensate for the absence of cheese. Don’t use roasted or salted cashews as they are too dry/salty, plus not quite as healthy as raw. Cashews have a very smooth texture and mild taste, but if you’re in a pinch, you could use pine nuts or blanched almonds.
- Salt: Regular table salt is fine. I like to use iodised salt for the additional micronutrients.
How to make Kale Pesto Pasta (Step by Step Instructions)
There’s a detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a quick overview of how to make this delicious kale pesto pasta.
Step One: Combine all ingredients except pasta in a food processor and blitz until minced.
Step Two: Add the pesto to your cooked pasta and gently combine.
Step Three: Serve and garnish with chili flakes or cashew parmesan.
Expert Tips
- Did you know most dry pasta is vegan? Unless it specifically calls out egg on the packet, it is typically vegan friendly and made using mostly flour, water and salt. Be aware that fresh/chilled pasta is typically *not* vegan and has eggs.
- How to cook pasta perfectly every time: Make sure you use the right water to pasta ratio, about 10 cups of water to every 250g of pasta. Salt the water very generously with approximately 1 tbsp per 10 cups water.
- Remember to trim your kale well. Be sure to trim the woody kale stems well, so your pesto is not too tough. You can use pre-chopped store bought kale but make sure you remove any remaining stem.
Serving suggestions
- Cashew parmesan topping is an easy vegan-friendly alternative that adds extra salty cheesy flavors.
- Sourdough or focaccia are great to have on the side.
Substitutions and Variations
- Kale can be substituted with spinach or partially substituted with arugula. But note that arugula is very peppery and can be quite overpowering on its own. If using arugula, I recommend mixing it with a milder leafy green like spinach (or kale).
- Fresh basil leaves can be added for a fragrant, sweet Italian flavor
- Cashews can be substituted for blanched almonds, pine nuts or even walnuts, however please note they will impart their own flavor.
Storage Instructions
Kale pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week and maintains its vibrant colour if in a jar or well-sealed container. It also freezes well for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Reheat on the stove or microwave, and add a splash of water to loosen the pesto if it becomes too thick.
FAQs
If you’ve managed to make a batch of bitter pesto, add a pinch of sugar to mask the taste. Remember to always use fresh olive oil and nuts, as rancid oil or nuts are frequently the reason for bitter pesto. Also, don’t over blend your pesto as it changes the structure of the oil and can produce a bitter flavor.
Kale is jam-packed with nutrients, including fibre, antioxidants, vitamins A, C and K, as well as manganese, calcium and iron.
Yes, blending kale makes it easier for the body to absorb its nutrients. Cooking kale can make it easier to digest, but also reduces the antioxidant content. Raw kale retains all its nutrients, however, its thick cell walls may pass through the body without releasing them all. Blending breaks down the plant cell walls so the nutrients can be absorbed.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta
- Creamy Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
- Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Basil Pesto (Vegan)
I hope you love this Kale Pesto Pasta recipe. Have you tried it? Let me know what you thought in the comments. If you’re looking for more recipes that feature this delicious vegetable, try Vegan Pad Thai with Kale, Superfood Kale Risotto, and Creamy Tahini, Kale and Pumpkin Salad.
Kale Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 bunch curly kale leaves only, stems removed
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 500 g rigatoni cooked to packet instructions
To garnish
- chilli flakes
- cashew parmesan or nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the pasta in a food processor and blitz for a few minutes until minced. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times. The pesto will be a little chunky, not smooth. *If you prefer a silkier texture, use a blender and a splash of extra olive oil.
- Add the pesto to your cooked pasta and gently mix until combined.
- Serve into four bowls and garnish with chilli flakes or cashew parmesan if desired.
Liz Douglas says
My favourite easy pasta. So green!
sarah says
Delightful flavors!
Siby says
This was so delicious, thank you!
Sofie says
Best pasta ever!