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Pesto Pasta · Vegan Kale Walnut

Vegan Kale and Walnut Pesto Pasta

4

Hands-free cooking

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Reading aloud

Before you start

Gather your ingredients

  • Swaps for walnuts

    Instead of nuts

    • Another nut: The same amount. Pecans are sweeter and softer, walnuts slightly bitter, almonds firmer and milder.
    • Toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds: The same amount. Smaller and crunchier, with an earthy taste.
    • Leave them out, or use chocolate chips or toasted oats: The same amount (or none). Leaving nuts out doesn't change how a batter bakes.

    More for nuts

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • Swaps for fresh basil leaves

    Instead of basil

    • Dried basil: 1 tsp dried for each 1 tbsp chopped fresh (a third as much). Flatter and more savory: dried basil loses its sweet, clove-like smell.
    • Spinach or arugula + parsley (for pesto): The same amount of greens. Greener and milder (arugula is peppery); still a good pesto.
    • Fresh mint or oregano: Half as much. Different but fresh; mint suits Thai dishes, oregano suits Italian.

    More for basil

  • Swaps for garlic

    Instead of garlic

    • Garlic powder: ⅛ tsp for each clove. Mellower and sweeter, with no bite.
    • Jarred minced garlic: ½ tsp for each clove. Milder and slightly sour from the preserving liquid.

    More for garlic

  • Swaps for lemon juice

    Instead of lemon juice

    • Lime juice: The same amount. A different, more floral aroma; works almost everywhere.
    • Bottled lemon juice: The same amount. More sour and flatter; fine in cooking and baking, less bright in dressings and drinks.
    • White wine vinegar or white vinegar: Half as much. Sharper, with no citrus aroma.

    More for lemon juice

  • Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

  • Swaps for extra-virgin olive oil

    Instead of olive oil

    • Avocado oil or another neutral oil: The same amount. No olive flavor; avocado oil handles higher heat.
    • Butter: The same amount. Richer and nutty when browned.
    • A neutral oil + more seasoning: The same amount. Dressings lose the fruity, peppery note; a little extra lemon, garlic or mustard makes up for it.

    More for olive oil

  • Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

Step 1 of 11

Toast (how to toast) Toast Heat nuts, seeds, spices or bread crumbs in a dry pan or oven until fragrant and lightly browned. 1. Spread them in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, or on a sheet pan at 350°F.2. Shake the pan or stir often.3. Watch and smell: the moment they smell nutty, they are close.4. Tip them onto a plate right away; the hot pan keeps cooking them. Done when: They are fragrant and a shade darker. Small seeds take 1 to 3 minutes; nuts in the oven 5 to 10. How to toast nuts, seeds, spices and bread: mistakes to avoid
the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant.

Step 2 of 11

Bring a large pot of water to a
boil (how to boil) Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid
and add 1 tablespoon salt.

Step 3 of 11

Drop the kale leaves into the
boiling (how to boil) Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid
water and cook just until bright green.

Step 4 of 11

Lift the kale out with tongs into a colander and rinse it with cold water. Keep the pot
boiling (how to boil) Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid
for the pasta.

Step 5 of 11

Squeeze the kale firmly in your hands to press out as much water as you can.

Step 6 of 11

Pulse the walnuts and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.

Step 7 of 11

Add the kale, basil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and 3/4 teaspoon salt and pulse into a coarse paste.

Step 8 of 11

With the machine running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream until smooth.

Step 9 of 11

Cook the pasta in the same pot until al dente.

Step 10 of 11

Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Step 11 of 11

Return the pasta to the pot off the heat and toss with the pesto and 1/4 cup pasta water until creamy. Add more water if needed.

All done

Enjoy!

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Ingredients

  • Swaps for walnuts

    Instead of nuts

    • Another nut: The same amount. Pecans are sweeter and softer, walnuts slightly bitter, almonds firmer and milder.
    • Toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds: The same amount. Smaller and crunchier, with an earthy taste.
    • Leave them out, or use chocolate chips or toasted oats: The same amount (or none). Leaving nuts out doesn't change how a batter bakes.

    More for nuts

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • Swaps for fresh basil leaves

    Instead of basil

    • Dried basil: 1 tsp dried for each 1 tbsp chopped fresh (a third as much). Flatter and more savory: dried basil loses its sweet, clove-like smell.
    • Spinach or arugula + parsley (for pesto): The same amount of greens. Greener and milder (arugula is peppery); still a good pesto.
    • Fresh mint or oregano: Half as much. Different but fresh; mint suits Thai dishes, oregano suits Italian.

    More for basil

  • Swaps for garlic

    Instead of garlic

    • Garlic powder: ⅛ tsp for each clove. Mellower and sweeter, with no bite.
    • Jarred minced garlic: ½ tsp for each clove. Milder and slightly sour from the preserving liquid.

    More for garlic

  • Swaps for lemon juice

    Instead of lemon juice

    • Lime juice: The same amount. A different, more floral aroma; works almost everywhere.
    • Bottled lemon juice: The same amount. More sour and flatter; fine in cooking and baking, less bright in dressings and drinks.
    • White wine vinegar or white vinegar: Half as much. Sharper, with no citrus aroma.

    More for lemon juice

  • Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

  • Swaps for extra-virgin olive oil

    Instead of olive oil

    • Avocado oil or another neutral oil: The same amount. No olive flavor; avocado oil handles higher heat.
    • Butter: The same amount. Richer and nutty when browned.
    • A neutral oil + more seasoning: The same amount. Dressings lose the fruity, peppery note; a little extra lemon, garlic or mustard makes up for it.

    More for olive oil

  • Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt