I wanted to make some pesto sauce, yes - pesto sauce is not always for summer! We love it all year round! When I realized I didn't have enough basil, and while everything was already sitting in my blender ready to go, I realized I had to think out of the box and improvise. So, I added in a handful of fresh baby spinach and fresh baby kale (which I had on hand- thank goodness!) to make up for the difference. I had no clue if it would work or turn out to be a mistake in the sauce. But, it worked!
No need to embellish with any nuts with this recipe.
After one taste, I knew it was good to go!
With freezing temperatures lately you can understand why it may be difficult to find fresh basil. In fact, you may have to hunt for it, literally walking through 3 to 4 markets before you can find some.
And if you're lucky, it's probably a sad, wilting little basil plant that doesn't even amount to filling one cup. Which is how I came to making this totally new pesto sauce with kale and spinach. We LOVE it!
To my surprise, this kale and spinach pesto sauce turned out better than I expected. In fact, this concoction turned out to be very similar to the spinach and kale bites we frequently made. The kale in this pesto sauce is once again completely hidden! No one ever noticed and they too loved the taste! This is a healthy upgrade to the simple basil pesto sauce we usually make during the summer.
How about a clever alternative for spaghetti? You bet! Zucchini noodles!!
I quickly made some spiralized zucchini noodles and added some kale and spinach pesto sauce to it and it tasted AMAZING ! As you already may know, zucchini noodles have fewer calories, more nutrients and are gluten-free.
Serve this kale and spinach pesto sauce with your favorite pasta, risotto or zucchini noodles, then maybe add a couple of grilled shrimps, chicken or tofu on top, and dinner is DONE! Just add more grated parmesan cheese on top!
ENJOY!
EASY Kale and Spinach Pesto Sauce
- 1 cup (packed) fresh greens - basil, baby kale, and baby spinach
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, and extra if needed
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste
In a blender or a food processor, add the olive oil, garlic, and fresh greens.
Pulse or blend until smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally with a spatula.
Add in the grated cheese and cayenne pepper. Blend on high speed for a few seconds. Taste and add fresh black pepper and salt to taste.
If the pesto is too thick, add some extra olive oil (drizzle slowly while it's on low speed) until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency.
Pour into a mason jar or into an air-tight container and refrigerate.
Store in the fridge up to 1 month.
Yields: about 2 cups
