Name: Summer Pesto Pasta with lemon, kale and pecans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 box (16 oz) Barilla Farfalle Pasta; 1 jar (6.5 oz) Barilla Rustic Basil Pesto; 1 cup pecans; 2 pints cherry tomatoes; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes; 1 bunch, stems removed and roughly chopped; Zest and juice of 1 lemon; 1/2 cup shaved or grated parmesan cheese

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When kale started to take over the food world, I noticed it was juiced, made into chips, put into smoothies, and even sneaked into chocolate bars. So why not put it in a pasta dish? For this dish, I love using Barilla Farfalle pasta as the pesto can really get into those little crevices. The Barilla Rustic Basil Pesto in this recipe gives the dish another layer of flavor and the pecans give it a nice crunchy texture. The bitter, citrus, crunch, and chili all combine for a unique Summer Pesto Pasta with lemon, kale, and pecans.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Barilla. All opinions and recipes are my own.

Choosing the Right Pasta

So, if you are looking to make a really tasty pasta dish, one of the main starting points has to be choosing the right pasta. All are really not created equal, and selecting a high-quality pasta, made with great ingredients, will get you off to a great start. You want to cook your pasta al dente, so look for a good brand that’s going to do this easily. Some of the lower grade pasta just turn to mush too quickly and in my opinion miss the mark. The Barilla pasta I am recommending here is a really good bet. It is non-GMO and is made with the highest quality wheat, and it seems to just want to become al dente for you! It’s a great base for the dish.

So What is ‘Al Dente’?

Al dente is an Italian term meaning ‘to the tooth’ and it describes the ideal consistency for pasta…firm to the bite, not too soft or mushy. And much as over-cooked pasta is far from great, don’t fall into the trap of undercooking it either…that’s known as ‘molto al dente’ when the pasta is just too hard. With a lot of dried pastas, the trick is to cook the pasta for less than it says on the packet…testing at 8 minutes if it says to cook for 10, for example. However, what I love about Barilla Pasta is that their experts really have nailed the cooking time. Stick to the instructions and you’ll have perfect al dente pasta. Glorious.

Too Hot for Pasta?

The great thing about this dish is that it can also work as a cold pasta salad. Simply make the pasta and allow it to cool. Follow all the other instructions but serve the dish as a whole cold. This is another reason that you really want to be using pasta made with well-balanced, quality ingredients, like Barilla. Their pasta is equally tasty served cold. You’ll find some others just seems bit too gummy when they cool down. Barilla tastes so good cold, so will allow this dish to work even on the hottest of summer days.

Tell me how you get on!

So, guys! If you make this Summer Pesto Pasta with lemon, kale, and pecans, please leave a comment and indeed give this recipe a share! I love to hear from all of you, and to that end, I always do my best to respond to your comments. Lastly, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Tik Tok or Instagram! Because I like to look through and see your creations. Post to Instagram stories too so I can easily share with my fans!

A delicious Summer Pesto Pasta with lemon, kale and pecans

Want more Barilla?

If you are looking for more recipes featuring wonderful Barilla products, check out my Pasta Carbonara or my Baked Parceled Cod With Classic Genovese Pesto.

To get the ingredients for the recipe check out this page.