Zucchini Noodles With Pistachio Kale Pesto Cherries Food

KALE AND PISTACHIO PESTO SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the kale to the boiling water and cook, stirring, until just wilted but still bright green, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the kale to the ice water (keep the water boiling). When cool, drain well and squeeze out as much water as possible. Coarsely chop the kale.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta.
• While the pasta cooks, pulse the pistachios and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the kale and parsley and pulse until very finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add the Parmesan, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to incorporate.
• Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water if it seems dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

ZUCCHINI 'NOODLES'

Steps:

• Cut zucchini into thin, noodle-like strips (a mandoline works well for this). Toss with the 2 teaspoons salt, and place in a colander to drain for 30 minutes.
• Bring a pot of water to boil. Add zucchini; cook for one minute. Drain; rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking.
• Heat margarine in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini and garlic; cook and stir until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH PISTACHIO KALE PESTO & CHERRIES

Steps:

• Place a few inches of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Just before boiling prepare an ice bath [water + ice] in a mixing bowl. Once boiling place kale leaves in the water for 30 seconds - 1 minute. Remove and immediately place in the ice bath to halt cooking. Remove kale and pat dry.
• Place the garlic in your large food processor and turn on to mince. Scrape the sides. Add in the dried kale, basil, pistachios [cooled if you just roasted them], lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pulse about 20 times until well chopped.
• Turn the processor on and slowly stream in the olive oil through the top. Scrape the sides as needed and stream in more oil to reach your desired pesto consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse a few more times. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
• Place zucchini over a large bowl and use a julienne peeler [regular peeler for wide noodles, spiralizer, mandolin, etc.] to create the noodles. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top and toss to coat. Spoon pesto over the noodles and toss with your fingers or two forks to coat. Add more pesto as needed.
• Top with chopped pistachios, halved cherries, and a bit of lemon zest. Serve immediately. Best eaten right away [the noodles release a bit of liquid and soften] but it can be stored for about 1 day. Leave cherries and pistachios off until just before eating.