My super easy, secret method to get more greens in your diet. This bright green Kale Pesto has a whole can of white beans in it to make it super creamy and protein-packed! The beans also make it entirely vegan, if that's your thing. If not, just enjoy this delicious, bright dinner that comes together in way less than 30 minutes.
If you're new around here, the recipe sharing site isn't my first venture to sharing recipes online. I have been blogging at a second site (called Dessert for Two) since 2010. When I'm not sharing sweet recipes over there, I'm sharing a roundup of everything I made for dinner on my instagram. A few weeks ago, this vegan kale pesto with white beans was a Tuesday night dinner for me.
The vibrant green color made so many people curious, and so I knew the recipe needed to be shared. This recipe is based on a Heidi Swanson recipe, but I add a can of white beans, because when do I not add beans to a recipe?
If you're concerned about eating raw kale, do not be! For this recipe, the kale is briefly cooked in boiling water to soften it. I also soften the shallots and garlic in the same water, too. And yes, you do this in the same pot the pasta will be cooking in, so it's a one-pot meal!
After this quick dip in boiling water, everything goes into the food processor for a quick blend. Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto and a few ladles of pasta cooking water, and dinner is done!
Ingredients
- Pasta. One pound of your favorite short pasta. I'm using rigatoni with ridges, because I love the way the pesto clings to all of the ridges in the pasta. Whatever you use, I highly recommend a pasta with some texture or ridges.
- Shallots. I'm using shallots instead of onion because they're more mild. If you only have onion, use ½ of a small onion, and blanch it in the boiling water, as directed.
- Kale. One small bunch of kale that weighs about 8 ounces. You could also buy baby kale in the bagged salad mix section.
- Garlic. Two cloves of garlic might sound like a lot, but remember we're blaching it in hot water to mellow it out a bit. So if the flavor of raw garlic scares you in a pesto, don't be! Try this method of blanching (quickly cooking in boiling water) to soften the bite.
- Olive Oil. Since we'll be using the olive oil to bring the pesto together, feel free to use an extra virgin olive oil that you would use for salad dressing. We won't be cooking or heating it, so the flavor will remain in the final dish.
- Lemon. We need the juice of one lemon, about 2-3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Start with 2 tablespoons and add an extra tablespoon after tasting if you think it needs more sour notes.
- White Beans. One 15-ounce can of white beans that has been drained and rinsed. You use cannellini beans, navy beans, or any white beans.
How to Make Kale Pesto Pasta with White Beans
First, cook the pasta: bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt when boiling.
To the pot of boiling water, add the shallots and garlic, and let cook for 2 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and then add the kale. Let the kale rest in the water for about 2 minutes; it will turn bright green.
Using a strainer, move the shallots, garlic cloves, and the kale to the bowl of a food processor. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta according to them ackage directions.
To the food processor bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, white beans, salt and pepper.
Puree the kale pesto, open the lid and taste and adjust for more seasoning. Add salt, pepper or lemon juice to taste
Combine the pesto with the pasta in the pot, and stir very well. Add small splashes of pasta water to thin the sauce out, if needed.
Kale Pesto Pasta FAQ:
This is the best kale pesto recipe because I guarantee it will not be bitter at all! Because we're briefly blanching the kale in the boiling water before cooking the pasta, it will lose any bitterness. It only briefly soaks for 1-2 minutes in the water until it becomes bright green, making it completely bitter-free and easier to digest and absorb nutrients from.
This kale pesto is entirely vegan and made with shallots, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and a can of white beans for creaminess without cheese!
Besides making this delicious kale pesto pasta recipe, you can make my white bean kale soup or my black eyed pea soup. I love both of these recipes because they're so freezer-friendly, so it's a great way to use up a lot of kale.
Kale Pesto
This kale pesto pasta is such an easy one-pot, 20 minute dinner idea!
Ingredients
- 3 shallots, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 8 ounces (1 small bunch) of kale, stalks removed
- 1 pound short pasta*
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 15-ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- First, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt when boiling, and then add the shallots and garlic. Boil for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, and then add the kale. Let the kale cook in the hot water until bright green, about 1-2 minutes.
- Strain out the vegetables and move them to the bowl of a food processor. Bring the water back up to a boil, and then cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, but be sure to save at least one-half cup of pasta water first.
- TO the food processor with the shallots, garlic and kale, add the olive oil, lemon juice, white beans, salt and pepper.
- Puree the kale pesto, open the lid and taste and adjust for more seasoning. Add salt, pepper or lemon juice to taste.
- Combine the pesto with the pasta in the pot, and stir very well. Add small splashes of pasta water to thin the sauce out, if needed.
Notes
*I use rigatoni with ridges for this recipe, because the pesto clings to the ridges.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 454Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 650mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 14gSugar: 7gProtein: 18g
Barb
Can I freeze the pesto?
BeanRecipes
Yes, use ice cube trays to freeze individually, then pop out and freeze in a freezer bag up to 3 months 🙂