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Pesto – a student staple! But it doesn’t have to be a cheap and oily jarred version. Try this homemade pesto with kale and walnuts … stir through linguine and top with smoky roasted tomatoes and salty prosciutto for a quick and wholesome mid-week meal.
I’m sure that any of you who have lived away from home as students made yourself some ‘interesting’ dishes when you first started cooking for yourselves.
I certainly did! Let’s just say they mostly consisted of bland concoctions involving things like cheap packets of pasta and tins of tomatoes and tuna … and not much else! (And don’t worry, I won’t tell you the story of the maggots my housemates and I found in the bottom of the bin when we returned from our Christmas holidays. Or at least I won’t dwell on it too much. Let’s just say they got boiling water poured all over them, but they stank out the house, so they then got thrown into the garden where they were promptly snowed on … leaving us a lovely reminder of our grubbiness when the snow melted!)
I know, I know, maggot stories are not very befitting of a food blog. I’m not making myself any new friends here.
So getting back to my point, then (yes, Helen, you’d better …), another of my go-to student recipes was pasta with pesto. Yup, the pre-made jarred variety – runny and made with cheap oil.
Basically, nothing like a good homemade pesto like the one in my recipe today. And not only is my pesto nice and chunky and homemade, but I’ve added the veggie-of-the-moment, kale, to make it super healthy and tasty. Throw in some basil, a handful of walnuts (cheaper than pinenuts), a big garlic clove, a good squeeze of lemon and a generous drizzle of olive oil, whizz it all up in a food processor and you’ve got a gorgeous pesto in seconds.
Nothing particularly unusual here. Maybe you’ve made pesto and pasta loads of times before. But have you ever added roasted tomatoes and crispy prosciutto? No, I didn’t think so. Well, trust me, these two humble additions take this classy linguine meal to a whole other level. The juicy, smoky tomatoes really tickle the tastebuds and go perfectly with the pesto, as do the crispy mouthfuls of salty prosciutto.
I think the key to making this quick pesto linguine great is to make sure the pesto is runny enough. When you whizz it up in the food processor, add enough water to make it the consistency of a thick-ish dip. Then when you stir the pesto through the hot cooked pasta, add a bit of the pasta cooking water to loosen up the dish if you think it needs it.
I reckon this would work just as well with salmon or chicken instead of the prosciutto… or it could easily become a vegetarian meal if you skipped the meat and threw on more tomatoes.
Bellissimo! 🙂
Serves: 2
- 100 grams/3.5 ounces kale, washed and with the tough stalks discarded
- smallish bunch of basil (at least 25 or so leaves)
- a good handful of walnuts (about ¼ cup)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 50 grams/1.75 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
- a couple of good squeezes of lemon juice (add more to taste)
- about 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- about 140 grams/5 ounces cherry tomatoes on the vine (weight including the vine – or about 100 grams/3.5 ounces off the vine)
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 200 grams/7 ounces dried linguine pasta
- Preheat the oven to 180C/355F.
- Put a large pot of water on to boil, then blanch the kale for about a minute. Remove it with a slotted spoon (so that you can re-use the water for the pasta), transfer to a colander, rinse under a cold tap and then squeeze out most of the water.
- In a food processor, blitz the kale with the basil leaves, walnuts, garlic, parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper until you have a chunky paste.
- Slowly add a little water (at least 2 tablespoons) and pulse until your pesto is the right consistency (about the same consistency as a dip).
- Spray a baking tray lightly with oil, then arrange the tomatoes on the vine on it with the slices of prosciutto (it doesn’t matter if the meat is overlapping slightly). Bake for about 10 minutes, turning the meat half way through the cooking time.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in the water that you blanched the kale in. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir the pesto through the pasta. Loosen up the dish with a little of the cooking water.
- Serve the pasta out into bowls, topping with the tomatoes and prosciutto. Enjoy!
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I am ALL about kale pesto. I actually have a recipe for it in my book that is coming out soon 🙂 It’s definitely a great way to eat more veggies.
Totally agreed! Can’t wait for your book! So exciting for you! 🙂
You are making me absolutely starving right now Helen despite the maggot story. My husband is terrified of maggots, they scare him to death. Loving the walnuts in this recipe and I’ve read walnuts help cut down on belly fat and I need all the help I can get =)
Ooh, I need all the help I can get, too – thanks for the tip! I’m glad I made you hungry despite my risky story. 🙂
For me this is how pesto should look, perfectly coating the pasta. I love the addition of the roasted tomatoes and prosciutto, this is a lovely dish.
Thank you so much, Janette! I put a LOT of that pesto in there, because I too hate it when there isn’t enough. Same goes for any pasta dish, really … pile on the sauce!!
I am not usually squeamish, I am the one who kills the creepy crawlies at our home, but maggots get my hair standing up! GAH – I would have dies if I caw the snow melting to uncover them! GAH!
Quick – I need to bathe in this kale pesto so I can get rid of all nasty thoughts of maggots!
BTW – Helen, I’ve never had roasted tomatoes and crispy prosciutto with pasta and pesto!
Oooh, I’m so sorry, Shashi! I knew that story was a bit risque! Do still try the pesto, though – and try not to think of maggots!!!
Oh boy did I make some strange stuff in college too! My favorite thing to make was spaghetti with chopped up tofu dogs ( I was a vegetarian then) – I still standby the dish 😉
So onto your dish! Helen, you’re singing my song! First of all who doesn’t love pasta and pesto? The roasted tomatoes sound like a wonderful addition in flavor and color, and the prosciutto… lets just say that was what brought me out of my vegetarian ways 😉
Ooh, I think many a vegetarian has fallen that way, Kathleen! The spaghetti and tofu dogs doesn’t sound so bad – I’ll have to give it a try some time … teehee! 🙂
I knew that my OH was the one the first time he made me pesto and I have loved pesto ever since.
I love it too, but there’s got to be enough of it!
Hi Helen, maggots do not necessarily go hand in hand with a food blog, but I dearly love your stories, so funny……….and these things do happen. Beautiful dish and photos my friend.
Thank you so much, Cheri! I can always count on you to be encouraging! 🙂
This looks SOO good Helen! That Prosciutto… yum!! I am definitely going to try that Kale pesto too! I saw this on Facebook and HAD to come and see it! I’ll have to have Pasta for dinner 😀 Sending some love your way!
Hi Dini! Thank you! Really glad you’re keen to give this a go – don’t think you’ll regret it!
Wow a kale and walnut version is a brilliant idea Helen. Thank you! 😀 Love that there is still basil for aroma but then kale for goodness! 😀
Thanks, Lorraine! Yeah, it was pretty good with the basil AND kale in there. Great way to get all healthy but without sacrificing the taste, as you say 🙂
I remember how impressed I was when my roommate’s boyfriend, a fireman, made homemade pesto sauce MANY years ago. Apparently I thought it was hard! haha All I knew was that tasted a lot better than the jarred stuff. This kale pesto looks amazing, Helen, and pairing it with the tomatoes and prosciutto sounds even more delicious!
Thank you, Marcie! I never would have dreamed of making my own pesto during my university days. Funny how things change (for the better, I have to say!)
Yeah I remember these times, canned tuna and pasta 🙂 Love homemade pesto, much better than the store bought version! Need to make this pasta, looks great!
Thanks so much, Mira (as always!!) 🙂
YUM! This looks delish! Must try it.
Hi Emma! Yay, give it a try!!
Heh–“interesting” recipes are the defining element of my college years. You’re totally right, though – my college self would have loved making this pasta, and heck, I’m really looking forward to making this kale pesto now!
Hope you do give this a go, Ala! Glad you like it! 🙂
Oh God…maggots…those little f*ckers gross me out like nobody’s business! I once threw something out into the garbage in the garage in the summer…like raw meat or something…and I went to dump something else out a few days later and I literally almost fainted!!! I took that gigantic garbage can and soaked everything in it with bleach. I felt a little awful that I killed an entire generation…but hey those things were probablly going to eat me one night 🙂
Anyhow,,,great recipe as always love. I love how the kale keeps the pesto super green!
lol … oh my goodness, that’s just like what happened to me! And as you don’t seem to mind maggot stories, let me tell you another one… I once cooked some rice that had been in my cupboard for quite a long time in the summer, but when I drained it I noticed some of the rice was a different colour. You guessed it, there were maggots in the rice! Put me off rice for aaaages, and I still think about it occasionally when I cook it now …
Sorry, Mila, bet I’ve really grossed you out now!!
OK, I had to skip over the entire paragraph containing the “m” word because they thought alone terrifies me and turns my stomach….!!! I literally think I could reach through the screen and give you a hug right about now. I am so NOT into Kale but they were on sale so I bought a couple of bunches and I’ve been contemplating what I can make with them. I have everything I need to make this except prosciutto, I’m thinking crumbled bacon instead. Dinner tonight! Sharing!
Virtual hug accepted! 🙂 The last time I cooked with kale I wasn’t that bowled over, so I wanted to make something with it that I’d really like.
Hope you enjoy your meal (bacon will be fine!) and sorry for grossing you out so much – I knew it was a gamble to mention ‘that word’!