Kale Pesto Pasta with Lemony Meatballs
A twist on your classic spaghetti and meatballs, this pesto pasta dish is fresh, light and pretty healthy with kale, sunflower seeds and lemony oven baked turkey of chicken meatballs. Easy to make and packed with flavor, perfect for any night of the week.
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 505kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground chicken or turkey
- 1 small leek finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Olive oil for brushing
For the kale pesto pasta
- 1 small bunch kale stems and ribs removed
- 1/2 cup parsley packed
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan or nutritional yeast for dairy free
- 1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
- 12 oz spaghetti or other long cut pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and generously oil a sheet pan.
- In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients and stir to combine. With well oiled hands, roll the mixture into golf ball-sized rounds. Place on the sheet pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.
- Cook pasta in heavily salted water according to the package directions.
- While the meatballs and pasta cook, make the pesto. Add garlic, toasted sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan (or nutritional yeast) and salt, blend to combine. Add in the kale and parlsey along with 1/4 cup water and blend again until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste for salt and add more as needed. If the pesto still seems too thick, add another 1-2 tbsp of olive oil or water until the desired consistency is reached.
- To serve, toss the cooked pasta with the kale pesto and divide among bowls. Top with meatballs and some fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
To veganize this recipe, replace the meatballs with marinated white beans. Add to a resealable bowl a can of drained and rinsed white beans, 1/2 a finely chopped red onion, the juice and zest from 1 lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Let that marinate for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight. Make the pesto as written.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 | Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 995mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g