Just when it started to feel like fall, warm weather returned to the Bay Area. I’ve been walking around in shorts and sandals and continuing to enjoy lighter fare. Hearty soups and stews are the last thing on my mind. It’s a little weird but welcome.
If you’re experiencing unseasonably hot temperatures, too, this pasta with kale and hazelnut pesto recipe is for you. The mélange features a mix of summer and autumnal ingredients, like fresh basil and dark leafy greens, making it the perfect transitional dish.
Serve pasta with kale and hazelnut pesto as is for lunch or alongside your favorite source of protein for dinner. You can even pack it up to bring to a picnic or the office for an easy meal al desko.
Recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi via The Guardian.
- ½ cup blanched hazelnuts
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 2 small red onions, cut into ½"-thick wedges
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
- 1½ cups tightly packed fresh basil
- 1 cup Feta cheese crumbles
- 2 anchovy fillets in oil, removed from oil and minced
- 8 ounces radiatori or other short pasta
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven, let cool and then roughly chop.
- Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Place onions on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Combine ¾ cup kale; half of the basil, Feta cheese and toasted hazelnuts; anchovies; 5 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons water and a generous pinch of black pepper in a food processor. Purée until smooth.
- In a large fry pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining kale, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add half of the pesto to the bowl and stir to combine. Add prepared onion and kale, half of the lemon zest, lemon juice and remaining basil and Feta cheese and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining lemon zest and toasted hazelnuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
