Rigatoni with Ricotta & Kale Basil Pesto

Two food processor based recipes in two days! I know, right!? Simple, quick, delicious, other adjectives, etc etc etc amen.

Pasta. Let’s chat a second about how wonderfully versatile pasta really is, shall we. Most cultures in the world have some form of noodle based dish that they call their own. And thankfully, along side our best friend, Capt. Internet, it’s no longer a struggle to find and be inspired by food from all of this wonderful Earth we hang on. I’m always amazed with the almighty Noodle.

I remember the first time I had homemade pesto. Maybe the first time I ever had pesto. We were hanging kitchen party style with our friends Thomas & Trish (while no doubt rocking out to Common) and she made this amazing pesto pasta dish. I was blown away. Probably by two things;

1. How is it possible that I’ve missed out on this for 20 something years.
2. How amazingly simple, fresh, easy, local etc this dish was.

Game changer.

Here’s a recipe for Rigatoni with Ricotta & Kale Basil Pesto.

So wonderfully simple & delish. Enjoy, mes amis.

Rigatoni with Ricotta & Kale Basil Pesto

Serves 4

For the pesto;

2 cups kale leaves (packed)

1 cup basil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

To assemble;

1lb rigatoni pasta

1 cup ricotta

4 teaspoons chili flakes, separated

1 tablespoon olive oil

In the base of a food processor, combine your kale, basil, and sea salt, and pulse until finely chopped, scrapping down the sides if necessary. With the motor running on low, drizzle in your olive oil. Add your garlic and pine nuts, and pulse again. Add the cheese and rock it out a third time. Scrap into a bowl and set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook your pasta according to the package instructions (al dente please). Drain, reserving a small bit of cooking liquid.

Toss the cooking pasta with your 1 cup of your pesto (or more, depending on your pesto love), and 2 tablespoons of reserved cooking liquid.

Serve up into four plates, & top each with 1/4 cup of pesto, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, some more parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enter noodle city.