Joy Bauer Shares Her Recipe for Kale Pasta Pesto From Her New Book ‘Joy’s Simple Food Remedies’

Kale Pasta Pesto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: This makes 5 servings 

Want smoother, younger looking skin? Whip up this beautiful bowl of Kale Pasta Pesto, which features four wrinkle-fighting foods: lycopene-rich tomatoes, beta-carotene-packed kale, matcha, which is loaded with antioxidants, and omega-3-fat-containing walnuts. And for more beauty-boosting bites as well as other healing foods, check out my new book, Joy’s Simple Food Remedies.

• 3 cups loosely packed kale, stems removed
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons matcha powder
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 cups whole-grain pasta, cooked
• 16 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
• Ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Add the kale, basil, Parmesan, broth, walnuts, salt, matcha, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until the the greens are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides as needed to ensure everything is incorporated and well blended.

Then drizzle in the olive oil while you continue to pulse until everything is evenly blended. Season with additional salt, ground black pepper, and garlic to taste. (Mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons extra broth if a thinner texture is desired.)

Toss the kale pesto sauce with cooked pasta and tomatoes.