This easy and quick recipe is a perfect weekday meal, ready in less 30 minutes! The kale pesto recipe is lemony fresh, vibrant and so flavourful! Spring is here and pesto is one of the first recipes I make! Add it to your pasta, chicken, fish, burgers or sandwiches.
If you are looking for a meal this is loaded with healthy ingredients, packed with flavour and ready in under 30 minutes, look no further! This recipe is so delicious and easy to make your family will love it!
The best part is you can make the pesto the day before since it stores well in the refrigerator, just make sure you add it to an air tight container. Which means, when you come home from work, cook your pasta and shrimp at the same time. Then add your pesto to the cooked pasta and shrimp which only takes 6 minutes and toss! There you have an absolutely delicious, nutritious and satisfying meal!
INGREDIENTS AND TIPS
KALE PESTO
- Walnuts: is my preference to add to my pesto’s, can easily substitute with pine nuts
- Garlic: love garlic in my pesto, it’s a must!
- Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for a vegan option
- Kale: love kale and keep in mind it tends be a little bitter flavour but the garlic and lemon tends to overpower the bitterness
- Seasonings: sea salt and pepper
- Lemon: adds a fresh vibrant flavour
- Extra virgin olive oil: recommend a good quality evoo
PASTA:
- I used whole grain spaghettini for this recipe, spaghetti or penne, fettucini or capellini works well for this recipe
SHRIMP
- Paprika: my choice was sweet Hungarian paprika and regular paprika or for a smoky flavour smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Himalayan salt: or sea salt
- Pepper
- Shrimp: wild caught shrimp that is peeld and deveined
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS MEAL
KALE PESTO……use a food processor, add walnuts, garlic and parmesan or nutritional yeast. Pulse a few times, up to 10-15 seconds, until the walnut and fine in texture. Add kale, parsley, basil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pulse until it becomes finely chopped.
Begin slowly stream in the olive oil through the spout until it starts to bind and the texture should become smooth and creamy and all the ingredients are well blended. Make sure you scrap down the sides. You will notice the olive oil separating and that’s to be expected.
PASTA.…bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and follow package instructions or until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup and drain.
SHRIMP…..in a small bowl, mix together, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Pat shrimp dry with paper towel and add the seasonings to both sides of the shrimp. Using a skillet, add olive oil and pan sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
BRING IT ALL TOGETHER.….add the hot pasta to a large bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of pesto and half of the reserved water. Mix well until the pasta is coated. Taste and if more pesto is needed or salt. The texture should be slightly creamy and the pesto should be sticking to the pasta. Transfer to the warm skillet and add the shrimp and toss a few times.
Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
Store this fresh pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week in an air tight container or jar.
The sweet garlic paprika shrimp compliments this kale pesto perfectly! The flavours are earthy, lemony, garlicy and so delicious when it all comes together! Did I tell you can have this wonderful meal ready in under 30 minutes! 🙂
Easy Shrimp Kale Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 2 garlic
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese or 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cups packed kale leaves, stems removed
- 2 handfuls parsley
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch pepper
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz whole grain pasta, spaghetti
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- lb wild caught shrimp, peeled and deveined
Instructions
- Using a food processor, add walnuts, garlic and parmesan or nutritional yeast. Pulse a few times, up to 10-15 seconds, until the walnut and fine in texture. Add kale, parsley, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pulse until it becomes finely chopped.
- Begin slowly stream in the olive oil through the spout until it starts to bind and the texture should become smooth and creamy and all the ingredients are well blended. Make sure you scrap down the sides. You will notice the olive oil separating and that's to be expected.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and follow package instructions or until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup and drain.
- In a small bowl, mix together, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towel and add the seasonings to both sides of the shrimp. Using a skillet, add olive oil and pan sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
- Add the hot pasta to a large bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of pesto and half of the reserved water. Mix well until the pasta is coated. Taste and if more pesto is needed or salt. The texture should be slightly creamy and the pesto should be sticking to the pasta. Transfer to the warm skillet and add the shrimp and toss a few times.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
- Store this fresh pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week in an air tight container or jar.
