There is nothing quite like homemade pesto! The flavour is so much better, the fresh herbs and the lemon juice make this so much better than anything that you can buy.
Pesto is a great favourite in my household and can be used in many ways. Apart from the obvious, yet delicious, pasta sauce, it is fabulous as a base on pizza instead of tomato. It can be drizzled over a salad, baked into bread, and spread on toast or crackers.
This pesto has an extra little flavour burst as it has kale as a base. I have used the dark cavolo nero kale but any kale would work well. You can also swap the kale for spinach or rocket for a more peppery pesto.
Kale works so well in pesto, even if you are not a vegetable or cabbage fan, give this a go you will be surprised at how fresh and delicious it is.
For ease and convenience, I use a handheld blender to make the pesto. If you do not have this or a food processor, you can use a mortar and pestle to blend all the ingredients. If you do use a mortar and pestle, just ensure that you chop the kale and herbs up finely first.
Lastly, try to use a good quality oil. Olive oil provides a healthier and far more flavorsome pesto.
The Ultimate Cavolo Nero Kale Pesto
Ingredients:
100g Cavolo nero kale (see note)
30g Fresh basil
20g Fresh Parsley
120ml Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Garlic cloves
65g Pine nuts
50g Freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2tsp Salt
1/4tsp Pepper
Method:
Wash and roughly chop the kale before adding it to a food processor.
Add the basil and parsley.
Peel and then roughly chop the garlic. Put it into the food processor and pulse for a few moments.
Pour in the oil and lemon juice and blend it all together.
Lastly, to the blender, add the pine nuts, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Blend and taste. Add more seasoning if needed and drizzle more oil in if the mixture is too thick.
Store in the fridge for up to a week or pesto will freeze well for several months.
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