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 (as needed), Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (as needed), 1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice, Olive Oil (4 Tbsp), Salt (as needed), and Ground Black Pepper (as needed). 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.