Kale Pesto Pasta

This vibrant kale pesto pasta is a delicious and nutritious lunch option that uses pureed kale as the base for a fresh, earthy pesto sauce. Blended with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and Parmesan, the kale pesto is smooth, creamy, and packed with flavor. This dish is ideal for IDDSI-compliant diets, as it can be adjusted to meet various texture levels, ensuring a safe and satisfying lunch for everyone.

Kale Pesto Pasta

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 375

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Kale Pesto

• 2 cups kale leaves stems removed and blanched
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese omit for dairy-free or substitute with nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder for a smoother option)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta

• 8 oz pasta of choice such as rotini, fusilli, or macaroni; opt for smaller shapes for IDDSI modifications
• Water or broth as needed for blending

Equipment

• Blender or food processor
• Pot (for boiling kale and pasta)
• Colander
• Large bowl (for tossing pasta)
• Tongs or spoon

Method

 

1. Blanch the kale leaves by briefly boiling them in water for 1-2 minutes, then transferring them to an ice bath to cool. Drain well and pat dry.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the blanched kale, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, adding a small amount of water or olive oil if needed to reach a creamy consistency.
3. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until soft. For IDDSI Levels 4-6, cook the pasta slightly longer than usual to ensure a soft texture. Reserve a bit of pasta water to adjust consistency if needed.
4. Drain the pasta and in a large bowl, toss the warm pasta with the kale pesto until evenly coated. Adjust with a bit of pasta water if the pesto is too thick.

Notes

IDDSI Texture Modifications:

• Puree 4 (PU4): Blend pasta with splashes of broth or water to create your puree, top with the pesto after straining for fibers.
• Minced & Moist 5 (MM5): Use small pasta shapes like couscous to reduce the need to process cooked noodles down, although be sure to measure after cooking as the pasta will swell during cooking. Toss the pasta in the pesto, straining for fibers.
• Soft & Bite-sized 6 (SB6): Use small to medium sized shapes or cut to less than 15mm size, toss in pesto, straining as needed.
• Easy to Chew 7 (EC7): Recipe as printed above fits this texture level. 

Macro Adjustments:

• Protein: To increase protein, use chickpea, or lentil pastas, add tofu or meat crumbles, or a soft poached egg.
• Fats: Reduce olive oil and/or swap cheese for nutritional yeast to bring fat content down. To add fats, avocados and chopped olives as well as ricotta cheese can complement the dish.
• Carbs: To reduce, use spiralized vegetables or cauliflower gnocchi.

Dietary Swaps:

• Gluten-free: Select a veggie based pasta or use spiralized vegetables.
• Dairy-free/Vegan: Use nutritional yeast and/or cheese alternatives.

Low-Spoons Shortcuts:

• Use jarred pesto and stir in puréed kale or spinach for a semi-homemade version. Use minced garlic in a jar or powder to skip some prep.
• Boil pasta and blanch kale in the same pot: kale goes in first, remove after 1–2 mins, then add pasta.
• Double up your pesto batch and freeze in ice cube trays for quick sauce bombs for future recipes.