Kale Pesto Rigatoni

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, blanch the Kale (4 1/2 cups) for 5 minutes, and shock in an ice bath. Once the kale is cool, drain and squeeze out some water, but don’t squeeze too much.

Into a blender, add the kale, Fresh Basil (1 cup), Garlic (3 cloves), Cashew Nuts (1/2 cup), Lemon Juice (1), Brown Sugar (1/2 tsp), Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (1/2 tsp), 1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice, Olive Oil (4 Tbsp), Salt (1/2 tsp), and Ground Black Pepper (1/4 tsp). Blend until smooth.

Bring another pot of salted water to boil, and cook the Rigatoni (10 oz) until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta, pesto, and Grated Parmesan Cheese (4 Tbsp) to the pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the pasta water as needed.

Spoon the pasta into a serving bowl, top with more parmesan cheese and sprinkle some chopped cashew and red chili flakes. Then serve.