Pasta is one of those meals I could probably eat every day on repeat, but sometimes you’ve just got to mix things up and get creative with an old classic.
This kale “pesto” sauce comes together simply but packs in a load of flavor. First, you roast a head of garlic, and then process it with almonds, nutritional yeast, olive oil and kale. Top with roasted cherry tomatoes and you’ve got a perfect pairing.
The nuttiness of the almonds combined with the cheesy flavor of nutritional yeast might just trick you into thinking there’s parmesan in there somewhere — but no, it’s all plant-based!
This recipe is one you can pull together on a weeknight, and would be really quick if you roast the garlic ahead of time.
The satisfaction of digging into a big ol’ bowl pasta combined with the healthful kick of kale make this the perfect comfort meal to me. And hey, if you’re looking to cook something yummy for a Valentine’s dinner coming up, why not make this pasta dish?
If you try this recipe or have any questions, be sure to let me know what you think down in the comments below!
Thanks so much for stopping by A Veganable Feast!
Ingredients :
(Makes about 2 servings)
- 1 head of garlic
- 175g (3/4 cup) cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon + 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 250g (1/2 pound) fusilli, or pasta of choice
- ⅓ cup almonds (raw, unsalted)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- 2 handfuls of roughly chopped kale (about ½ of a bunch)
Directions :
- Preheat the oven to 190°C or 375°F.
- Prepare the head of garlic by slicing off the very top so that the individual cloves are just barely exposed and place on one side of a baking sheet. Place the cherry tomatoes on the other side of the baking sheet. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the garlic and tomatoes and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Gently remove the tomatoes and set aside. Roast the garlic for another 10 minutes, or until the garlic cloves begin to brown.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Pour the almonds into the food processor and blend until a small crumb forms, almost a powder.
- Add the nutritional yeast, the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and kale to the food processor and blend well until a creamy texture is achieved. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Mix the kale pesto into the pasta and serve into bowls. Top with the roasted tomatoes and enjoy!
