January 25, 2019
Now this is pesto pasta…
I think I have expressed my love for pesto a lot here on Food Finessa.
I really don’t understand what there is not to love about pesto. It’s almost like a creamy sauce but without the cream. The best part is that you can swap practically any green or vegetable in for the basil. My goal is to make pesto with practically every type of appropriate green I can think of – basil, oregano, parsley, kale, spinach, avocado…
However, this pesto is actually THE original pesto recipe from Genoa, a city in northwest Italy.
Now this is what I call pasta 🙂
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.
Genovese Pesto Kale and Italian Sausage Pasta.
- Genovese Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- Kale and Italian Sausage Pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups fresh kale (I used Lacinato kale, chopped)
- 6 ounces any short-cut pasta
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup milk (any type)
- To make pesto, add all pesto ingredients to a food processor, and pulse until they form a smooth paste. If too chunky, add more water; if too liquidy, add more basil. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in ground beef, salt, pepper, and oregano, chopping up meat with spoon, and sautée until almost fully cooked. Meanwhile, boil pasta until al dente according to package instructions.
- Add chopped kale into meat mixture, and sautée for another couple minutes until the meat is fully cooked. Add in about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, the pesto, wine, and parmesan. Mix until well-combined, and the cheese has fully melted. Drain pasta, and add into sauce and meat mixture. Stir well, but be sure not to break up the pasta. Enjoy with additional parmesan cheese!
