Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto is a great way to enjoy in-season farmer’s market produce. I remember the first time I tasted pesto many years ago. Just a spoonful of pesto packs a flavorful aromatic punch to any dish. Traditional pesto is made with basil and pine nuts, but I love adding leafy green vegetables and switching up the nuts in my pesto.
One of my favorite past times during the summer is going to our local farmer’s market. As the summer progresses, the variety of produce expands. I look forward to seeing bunches of garlic scapes at the market so I can make Garlic Scape Paste, which I store in my refrigerator for stir-fries and this Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto.
Although traditional pesto is made with basil, I’ve found almost any leafy green vegetable works well in combination with basil – whether it’s kale, Swiss chard or beet greens. Garlic Scape Paste makes a great alternative to garlic, and pistachios are a nice change from pine nuts.
5 Ways To Use Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto
Pesto is a versatile sauce that can be used in many different ways. Make a batch and store in the refrigerator for a week.
- Stir a few spoonfuls of Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto into a bowl of hot pasta or cold pasta salad. I love adding fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and sometimes leftover grilled chicken
- Thin out some of this pesto with olive oil and drizzle over a fresh tomato mozzarella cheese platter
- Spread some of this pesto on a sandwich (fresh tomato and mozzarella is a favorite)
- Stir some of this pesto into hummus
- Serve this pesto with grilled chicken or fish
Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 bunch garlic scapes
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pistachios toasted
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Strip kale leaves off stems and wash well. Bring pot of water to a boil and blanch kale leaves for 30 seconds; remove to a bowl of cold water to cool down. Squeeze kale dry with hands.
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Place kale, basil, garlic and hazelnuts in food processor. Process, adding oil through feeder tube, until mixture is finely ground. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
More Kale Pesto Recipes:
Kale Artichoke Pumpkin Seed Pesto
This looks so healthy and delicious!
Thanks Christine – adding kale to pesto is the easiest way to get my kids to eat it 😉
Love it!!! The pistachios sound fabulous too. Now if I can get my hands on some garlic scapes, I’ll be good to go!
Garlic scapes are hard to find, so whenever I spot them, I grab a bunch. Fresh garlic can be used instead.
The idea to stir some of this gorgeous and flavorful Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto into hummus sounds heavenly! Thanks for sharing this one!
Thanks Shashi – I love stir-ins to hummus – adds an extra punch of flavor.
Love using kale in pesto and this one sounds great!
We’re definitely on the same page Kevin 🙂
I’ve “seen” kale used in pesto but I haven’t tasted it yet. This looks so delicious!!! I want to make pasta and sandwich with this pesto. Healthy and yummy – a total winner!
Thanks Nami – we love pesto in all forms, especially during the summer. It goes with so many foods and it’s a great way to get my kids to eat more kale.
I live in Ecuador and I’m not sure how much kale or basil are in a bunch. I go out and pick it or get what the fresh food market considers to be a bunch. The kale tends to be as much as I can wrap both hands around when it’s pressed tightly together. The basil can be anywhere from 1/2 to 2 cups mashed down fairly well. Could you give me a guestimate of how much you think would be good? Thanks so much! This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it.
Cynthia, this isn’t a precise recipe – I use roughly 1.5x more kale than basil in this recipe. Add just enough olive oil to make a thick paste and a few cloves of garlic if you don’t have garlic scapes. Just a little salt and pepper and you should be good to go.
i love pesto and would happily eat it by the bushel… and what a brilliant ingredient list. great to way use up farmer’s market booty and sneak in some extra nutrients too!
Kale in pesto sounds so good and combining it with garlic scape is such a great idea! I love that you used toasted pistachios too. Looks so fresh and healthy!
Thanks Kelly – pesto is such a great way to enjoy summer produce. We love it!
So many wonderful flavors in this pesto!