How to Make a Winter Pesto With Kale, Collards, and More

Yahoo Food
Updated

By Rochelle Bilow

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Collard and Pecan Pesto. Photo: Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriot

Basil pesto may be a classic, but it’s not the only sauce on the block. In fact, once the weather cools down, we find ourselves reaching for hardier leaves, like kale. You can still make a creamy-nutty-cheesy-fresh pesto with winter greens, says associate food editor Claire Saffitz. In fact, these chewy greens can benefit from a trip to the food processor: They’re easier to eat once they’re puréed. The addition of cheese and nuts doesn’t hurt, either. Here are some rules to keep in mind when making your own winter pesto.

Remove the Stems and Ribs

The thick, fibrous stems of hardy greens can be chopped and sautéed, but they should be left out of your pesto: They’re too tough for a tender, raw sauce. The leaves will succumb to sauce-like goodness when pulverized with nuts or seeds and oil, but those ribs will just turn stringy.

Toast the Nuts

This goes for any pesto—no matter what season you make it in: Toasted nuts taste, well, nuttier. Don’t let their flavor get lost next to the strongly-flavored greens. And make sure they’re fully cooled before giving them a whirr through the food processor.

Rinse (and Dry!) Greens Well

Leafy winter greens can trap and hide grit, so be sure to rinse them well. Equally important? Drying them! “Residual water separates from the fat (that’s the oil) in the pesto,” explains Saffitz. “So use a salad spinner and make sure they’re dry.

See more: Collard and Pecan Pesto

Think Beyond the Leaves

Kale, Swiss chard, and collards are obvious choices for winter pesto. But why stop there? The leafy tops of root vegetables—like carrots and beets—can also be used in a pesto.

Skip the Pasta

Pasta and pesto. Pesto and pasta. Isn’t it time we switched things up a bit? That’s why Saffitz created this recipe for a creamy, hands-off oven risotto with kale pesto. Or, you can do the veggie equivalent of nose-to-tail cooking, and serve the pesto slathered on more produce (carrots + carrot top pesto = oh so fancy!).

See more: Roasted Carrots with Carrot-Top Pesto

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Carrots with Carrot-Top Pesto. Photo: Cedric Angeles

Try these Combinations

Not sure where to start? Saffitz has some great combos to get you started. Fire up the food processor, because your pesto’s about to get a whole lot better:

  • Swiss Chard + Almond + Manchego

  • Arugula + Hazelnut + Parmesan

  • Kale + Walnut + Pecorino

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Photo: Yossy Arefi

Recipe: Kale and Walnut Pesto

  • 1 medium bunch kale, center ribs and stems removed

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Blanch kale in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool; wring dry in a clean kitchen towel. Transfer to a food processor, add garlic, Parmesan, and walnuts, and pulse until coarsely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a steady stream and process to a coarse purée. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

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