Artichoke Kale Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Comforting and delicious, this pasta dish is packed with zucchini, artichokes and is topped with zesty sun-dried tomato pesto. A perfect weeknight dinner!
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“This is one of those dishes I consider a treat dish,” says Chef Jason Wyrick. “It’s a little decadent, but oh so good, and I think having a meal like this once a week is important. I also like recipes like this with components that you can use in other dishes. You can make a much larger batch of the pesto and keep it around for use later on. It will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge and you can freeze it, too.”
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp of sun-dried tomato pesto (recipe follows)
- ½ pound of whole-wheat penne pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 to 8 marinated artichoke heart pieces
- 1 large zucchini, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch of salt
- 3 cups kale chips
- Almond ricotta (like the Kite Hill brand) (optional)
- Sprinkle of Aleppo chiles or crushed red chiles (optional)
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Sun-dried tomato pesto
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated
- 3 tbsp of slivered almonds
- 6 to 8 pitted kalamata olives
- Sprinkle of Aleppo chiles or crushed red pepper
- Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves or ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Preparation
- Start by making the pesto. In a small food processor, pulse the ingredients until you have a very coarse paste (hence the name pesto,) and set it aside. It’s better if it can rest for a few minutes before using and it can do that while you cook the other components.
- Boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente. Drain, but do not rinse.
- While the pasta is boiling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the artichokes and sauté them until they lightly brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook until the zucchini starts to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low to keep the pan warm. As soon as the pasta is done, add it to the pan along with 3 tablespoons of the pesto and toss together.
- Plate the pasta and top with a generous handful of kale chips and any of the optional ingredients.
Bonus: Want to turn this into a super hearty meal? Add ½ cup of cooked chickpeas to the pan when you toss the pasta and other ingredients together.
More recipes from Chef Jason Wyrick: