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Shell pasta with kale pesto and cherry tomatoes in white plate.
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5 from 1 vote

Conchiglie Pasta With Vegan Kale Pesto

A savory, delicious vegan kale pesto is the perfect sauce for conchiglie or shell pasta. This is a quick, easy, healthy weeknight dinner.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 394kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 oz pasta (I used whole-wheat conchiglie which are tiny, adorable, shell-shaped pasta)
  • 16 oz asparagus , tough ends removed, then cut lengthwise into ¾-inch pieces (store the tough ends for vegetable stock).
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Small bunch kale , tough stems removed
  • 4 cloves garlic , smashed and chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts , lightly toasted (this is easy to do in the microwave. Spread the walnuts in a plate and microwave on high for a minute. Toss them around, then microwave for another minute)
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoon white miso
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice of one large lemon

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Dunk in the kale leaves. Bring the water back to a boil and let the kale leaves cook for five minutes. Then, using a pair of tongs, fish out the kale leaves and set them aside. Bring the water to a boil again and add your pasta.
  • About five minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the chopped asparagus.
  • Meanwhile, assemble the pesto. Place the cooked kale, ½ cup of toasted walnuts, nutritional yeast, miso, garlic and olive oil in a food processor or blender.
  • Process into a paste. I processed mine pretty smooth this time, but you can leave it coarse if you like your pesto that way. The jewel-green color of this sauce has to be seen to be believed-- it's just gorgeous.
  • Mix the pesto, cooked pasta and asparagus, lemon juice, and remaining walnuts in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg