Thai Basil Pesto Pasta

Whenever I buy herbs for one dish, I always have leftovers that end up going bad and it makes me wonder why I can’t just incorporate new herbs into dishes that I already make. For this recipe, I revamped the traditional pesto by using Thai basil and kale in order to up the greens, but also bring a unique flavor profile into the dish. This pesto pasta can be served hot or cold, and pair SO well with fresh, juice cherry tomatoes!

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2

Pesto

• 1/2 C Thai Basil

• 1/2 C Kale Without Stems

• 1/2 C Raw Almonds

• 1/3 C Fresh Parmesan (cut into bite size chunks before putting in blender)

• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice + More if Pesto Needs to Be Loosened

• 3 Garlic Cloves

• 1/4 C Olive Oil

• Salt

• Pepper

• Red Chili Flakes

Pasta Assembly

• 2 C Dried Pasta of Choice

• Salt

• 1 C Reserved Pasta Water

• 1/4 C Milk of Choice

• Cherry Tomatoes to Garnish

Recipe

1. To make the pesto, combine all of the Pesto ingredients in a high-powered blender until the sauce is nice and spreadable. You can add more lemon juice if it’s too course and dry.

2. Boil the pasta as per package instructions making sure you reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.

3. Put the pasta back on the stove on extremely low heat. Add in all of the pesto. Stir in the pesto while adding 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water at a time till the pasta is evenly coated with the pesto.

4. Add in the milk, keep stirring until the sauce has thickened. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and enjoy!