This kale pesto pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner, coming together in under 30 minutes. The homemade kale pesto is fresh and vibrant, made with just 6 ingredients and is a great option when you’re craving pesto but don’t have any basil. Serve the pasta on it’s own or as a side with your favourite protein for a complete meal.
On a busy weeknight, you know my go do dinner is going to be an easy dairy free pasta. It’s one of those things that I can always pull together using whatever I have in my fridge and pantry and know it’s going to be satisfying.
I love the flavour that pesto adds to a meal without needing much else. This recipe is simple, it’s quick to pull together, and it’s a really fun and delicious way to enjoy kale.
This pasta is light, fresh and vibrant all on it’s own, but you can always add a protein to it if you like. My favourite is some air fryer tofu, making it a similar style of meal to my tofu and kale salad (which is another of my go-to simple dinners!).
Recipe Inspiration
One of my favourite easy weeknight dinners is a simple pesto pasta. But dairy free store bought versions are always lacking in flavour and I don’t always have fresh basil available to make my favourite dairy free basil pesto.
But what I do sometimes have in my fridge in a bunch of kale. So of course I had to try turning it in a pesto!
This kale walnut pesto recipe is a great one to make when you bought kale for another recipe and need ideas to use the leftovers as they are sold in huge bunches.
Key Ingredients
Unlike a lot of kale pesto recipes, this one keeps things really simple. Just 6 ingredients is all you need.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Kale – Any variety works here, though I usually use curly kale as it’s the most readily available. Remove the tough stems before blending.
- Walnuts – these replace the traditional pine nuts and add a lovely earthy richness to the pesto. No need to toast them, though you certainly can if you have the time.
- Garlic – I recommend using fresh to give that punchy, bite to the pesto. You can use one or two cloves depending on your preference and the size and flavour strength of your garlic.
- Lemon juice – this brightens everything up and keeps the pesto tasting fresh. Start with the juice of half a lemon and adjust to your taste.
- Olive oil – use a good quality extra virgin olive oil as it really does make a difference to the flavour.
- Salt – season well and taste as you go.
You’ll Also Love: Spinach Pesto Pasta with Chicken
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions until al dente.
Step 2: While the pasta cooks, place the kale, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and salt into a food processor and pour in the olive oil.
Step 3: Blend until everything starts to come together, then scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and continue to blend to your desired consistency.
Step 4: Return the drained pasta to the saucepan over low heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of reserved pasta water to loosen, then add the pesto and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice, then serve immediately.
👉Why reserve pasta water? The starch in pasta cooking water makes it far more effective than plain water to help the pesto cling to the pasta and emulsify into a silky coating.
Serving Suggestions
While this kale pesto pasta is perfect as an easy lunch or dinner on its own, there are a few ways you can bulk it out further or turn it into a complete meal.
- Add protein. My favourite addition is air fryer tofu nuggets, but some chicken breast would also work well.
- Serve it with a side of dairy free garlic bread and a simple side salad for volume.
Storage Instructions
The kale walnut pesto keeps really well in the fridge for up to a week stored in an airtight jar. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Once tossed through pasta, this is best eaten straight away. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Add a small splash of water when reheating gently on the stove to loosen the sauce back up.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Cashews, almonds or pine nuts all work well as a substitute for walnuts. Each will give a slightly different flavour, but all are delicious.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy pasta recipes:
20 Minute Bow Tie Pasta
Creamy Pumpkin Rigatoni
Mushroom Tagliatelle with Olive Oil and Garlic
Vegan Vodka Pasta
Kale Pesto Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 grams (14oz) pasta any shape
- 2 cups kale roughly torn, stems removed
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon juiced, plus extra wedges to serve
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
- While the pasta cooks, place the kale, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and salt into a food processor. Pour in the olive oil and blend until everything starts to come together. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then continue to blend to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice as needed.
- Return the drained pasta to the saucepan over low heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to loosen, then add the pesto and toss well to combine. Add a little more pasta water as needed until every piece of pasta is well coated. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice once more. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated in 2026 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same.
Hilary W says
So delicious and a great new way to use kale. We also used wild garlic which was a lovely alternative too.
Sally says
Oh I’d love to try it with wild garlic!
sherry says
sorry i’m not a kale fan but this looks quite pleasant. I’m sure i could manage a bowlful:)
Sally says
It really is the best way to enjoy kale!