
The perfect way to get rid of all that extra kale and basil before it goes bad! I had so much kale leftover from a few recipes and I knew I wanted to make some pesto before it went bad. And babyyyy this did not disappoint. I probably won’t buy pesto from the grocery store anymore. That’s how good it was and it was super fresh. I love that I can control how much of an ingredient I add to it and doctor it up the way I like. Full creative control.
It was SO easy to make! All you need is a blender/food processor, basil, chopped kale, pine nuts (you can use sunflower seeds, walnuts etc) garlic, Parmesan Cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning.
I made a bomb Pesto and cherry tomato pizza and a quick 3-ingredient pasta and omg! So fresh and flavorful. This pesto is perfect to make on a Sunday, and use for quick meals throughout the week!

Kale Pesto
Equipment
- Blender or Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Chopped kale
- 1 cup Basil
- 1/4 cup Pine nuts
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup Olive oil + more if needed
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 3-4 garlic cloves
Instructions
- To a food processor, add chopped kale, basil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and olive oil. blend until smooth. Add in Parmesan cheese, more basil, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings according to taste.
- Pour into a mason jar and refrigerate for later use.
Notes
Did you make it?
Tag @cookwithci on Instagram and hashtag #CookwithCi