Spaghetti with kale and parsley pesto

Pesto pasta recipe

A vegetarian pesto pasta ready in just 20 minutes? This recipe delivers just that, using homemade pesto to boot. It’s an impressive yet easy dish to prepare and it’s packed with greens, making it a better-for-you weeknight meal. The real star of this recipe is the beloved Italian green sauce, pesto, which has its roots in Liguria, Italy. It’s traditionally made using basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and parmesan, crushed together in a mortar and pestle. There are many variations of the sauce with kale, rocket, spinach and parsley or a combination of greens used instead of basil. You can also use cashews, almonds or walnuts in place of pine nuts. This recipe uses kale to give the pesto its bright green colour and for the nutrients it adds. There’s also nutrients in the wholemeal spaghetti that’s used in place of regular wheat pasta. For a twist on the classic Italian favourite that’s also good for you, this spaghetti with kale and parsley pesto is a brilliant one to try.

Ingredients guide: what to put in pesto pasta

Apart from healthy wholemeal spaghetti, the pesto pasta recipe also calls for a switch on the popular creamy basil pesto pasta. You’ll need ½ cup of flat-leaf parsley leaves to give the pesto that vibrant green colour. Plus you’ll need freshly crushed garlic for a big hit of flavour. Three-quarters of a bunch of kale will also give the pesto a bright colour and earthy taste, adding to the unique take on basil pesto. Hazelnuts make a great alternative to pine nuts as they also contain an oily, nutty goodness that’s essential to pesto. And no matter how much oil you get from the hazelnuts, a good amount of olive oil is a must for any pesto sauce. This keeps the sauce from becoming dry, and a good-quality olive oil will boost the flavour of your sauce. For this recipe, cherry tomatoes are added for a sweet burst, perfectly balancing and freshening the creaminess of the dish. Crumbled fetta gives the dish added savoury flavours, and baked kale leaves deliver plenty of crunch.

How to make pesto pasta sauce

To make the pesto sauce, place the parsley leaves, crushed garlic, grated parmesan, toasted hazelnuts and one-quarter of a bunch of kale in a food processor and process until all the ingredients are finely chopped. Add ½ cup (125ml) olive oil in a steady stream while the food processor is running to combine all the ingredients together. You want a smooth pesto, so if you scrape the sides of the food processor to ensure the ingredients are all finely chopped and add a little more oil if you think it is too dry. Season the sauce when you’re happy with the result.

How to make pesto pasta

For this wholesome kale and parsley pesto pasta dish, start by baking some of the kale so you can scatter the crispy leaves over the dish before serving. Make sure the kale is thoroughly dried after you wash it - any moisture left on the leaves will result in soggy, not crispy, leaves. Spray one-quarter of the kale leaves with olive oil spray and season before spreading them out on a lined baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 5-7 minutes or until crisp. Cook the wholemeal spaghetti according to packet directions or until al dente and reserve ½ cup (125ml) of the cooking liquid. To cook the pasta dish, heat some olive oil in a frying pan over high heat and spray with olive oil spray. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, tossing them around in the pan until they begin to blister and collapse. Add the cooked pasta along with the pesto and reserved pasta cooking water, which will loosen the dish and make it easier to combine everything. Sprinkle some crumbled fetta and the crispy kale leaves on top, and you’re done.

Now get cooking

Putting pesto to good use is super easy with these brilliant recipes. Start with tomato and basil pesto twist - pack a savoury slice for lunch or a picnic. Dinner is on the table in just 25 minutes with this wholesome ​​avocado pesto pasta. It’s easy to go green when this edamame fettuccine with walnut pesto hits the table - try it for dinner or lunch. Or for a twist on vegetarian pesto pasta, go for this green pesto vegetable soup. For more vegetarian dinner recipes, head to our vegetarian recipes collection.