Lunch / Dinner
Kale Pesto Pasta with Lemon-Pepper Shrimp
Pasta is always weeknight meal material — it’s versatile, and, with jarred sauce, super fast. But this week try your hand at a from-scratch sauce. Who has time for that? You do, with one of this easy Kale Pesto. Plus, you won’t find these flavors in any jar on a grocer’s shelf.
Looking for something green? Kale pesto is it. Buzz super-healthful kale and pistachios instead of basil and pine nuts for a pesto with new tastes you can make in seconds. Add some protein with lemon-pepper shrimp and you have a real winner.
Ingredients
FOR THE PESTO, PULSE:
FOR THE LINGUINE & SHRIMP, COOK:
HEAT:
TOSS:
Test Kitchen Tip
The smoother leaves of dinosaur or Lacinato kale work great in the pesto, but you can also use the curly-edged or bagged baby varieties as well.
Instructions
For the pesto, pulse kale, pistachios, Parmesan, lemon juice, and garlic until minced and a paste forms. With the machine running, pour in oil; season with salt and pepper.
For the linguine & shrimp, cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high.
Toss shrimp with flour to coat. Sauté shrimp in batches until firm and pink, 3–5 minutes. Return all shrimp to the pan. Stir in the zest and remaining lemon juice; season with pepper.
Toss pasta with 1 cup pesto, then top with shrimp and garnish with chopped pistachios. Chill the remaining pesto in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
To remove the tough stems from the kale, fold the leaves together, then slice it out with a knife.
Pulse the pesto mixture just until it sticks together like paste with some pistachio pieces still visible.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 561
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 33%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 665mg 27%
Carbs 63g 21%
Fiber 4g 16%
Protein 27g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.