Rigatoni with Kale-Miso Pesto
We put a fresh twist on the classic pesto, swapping in kale and parsley for the basil and adding a spoonful of miso, which lends a little salty-sweetness. Just whirl the ingredients together in a food processor, then toss with cooked rigatoni and top with crunchy homemade croutons. Be sure to use white, or shiro, miso for this recipe—it’s milder in flavor and less salty than yellow or red miso.
Ingredients
For the pesto:
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) blanched almonds
- 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 bunches Tuscan kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems coarsely chopped
- 1 heaping Tbs. white miso paste
- Juice of 2 large lemons
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper- 1 lb. (500 g) rigatoni
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 oz. (375 g) country-style bread, crusts removed, bread torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 heaping tsp. grated lemon zest
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Directions
To make the pesto, with a food processor running, drop the garlic through the feed tube and process until minced. Add the almonds and pulse until ground. Stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cheese, kale, parsley, miso and lemon juice and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the pesto to a large fry pan off the heat; set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes.
While the rigatoni is cooking, in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil until foaming, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and starting to brown, about 1 minute. Add the bread pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is absorbed and the bread is crisp, about 7 minutes. If the bread starts to burn, reduce the heat to medium. Remove from the heat and season with salt, then add the lemon zest and toss to combine. Set the croutons aside.
Place the fry pan with the pesto over low heat. Using a spider or fine-mesh strainer, transfer the rigatoni directly from the cooking water to the pan and toss to coat. Top with the croutons, cheese and a few grindings of pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen