Recipe
Penne with Kale Pesto and Asparagus
Pesto is a saviour when you can't have inflammation-causing tomatoes or peppers as a sauce base. Here is a version of pesto done with a healthy twist. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable hailed for it's fibrous cholesterol-lowering ability, cancer preventative properties, detoxification support and anti-inflammatory profile. A great food to sneak into any dish.
Ingredients:
1 package brown rice pasta penne
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 bunch of asparagus, rinsed and stems trimmed
For Pesto:
2 cups kale leaves, washed and stems removed
1/2 cup basil leaves washed and patted dry
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnut pieces
2 cloves garlic, skins removed
Directions:
1. Boil pasta with salt according to package directions
2. Steam asparagus in an electric or stove-top steamer until bright green and slightly more tender, about 6 minutes.
3. While asparagus and pasta are cooking, add pesto ingredients to a food processor and blen until mixture is smooth. Add a bit of water 1 tbsp at a time if you'd like your pesto thinner
4. When asparagus is finished, cut into 1.5 inch pieces.
5. Drain pasta when finished and rinse with hot water. Pour into serving bowl and mix with 4 tbsps kale pesto (Leftover pesto can be frozen and used for your next pasta dinner.) Add asparagus and Enjoy.