Kale pesto takes pasta night somewhere more interesting than your standard basil version - nuttier, a little more robust, with a gentle kick from red pepper flakes. Toss it with ziti and roasted broccoli, and you’ve got a vegetarian pasta dish with real depth of flavor. We’ve also got a great wine pairing for this Ziti with Kale Pesto recipe.
The roasted broccoli is the key move here. Roasting brings out a sweetness and earthiness that plays off the bold pesto beautifully - more so than steamed or blanched broccoli would. And the whole dish comes together in about 35 minutes, with the pesto coming together in the food processor while the pasta cooks and the broccoli roasts.
Wine Pairing for Kale Pesto Pasta
The wine that inspired this dish comes from one of Italy’s most remote regions: Valle d’Aosta, tucked into the Alps where Italy meets France and Switzerland. The bottle was a 2013 Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, made from Prié Blanc, a grape variety native to the region and grown at some of the highest elevations in Europe.
I picked up this wine at a Pairings wine shop tasting, where I learned that if you stand in the vineyard where the Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle started, and throw a rock to the north, it will land in Switzerland. Throw the rock to the west, it will land in France. The winery is a good launching point for such rocks, claiming to be the highest vineyard in Europe!
This Valle d’Aosta white wine turned out to be a near-perfect match. The wine’s nutty quality echoed the roasted broccoli, while its lemon-tinged tartness cut through the richness of the pesto. A bit of honey and kiwi came through when sipped alongside the pasta - one of those pairings where the food and wine genuinely make each other better.
Blanc de Morgex is not easy to find outside specialty wine shops, so here are a few more accessible alternatives that work well with kale pesto pasta: an unoaked Vermentino, a crisp Pinot Grigio, or a Grüner Veltliner. You’re looking for a white with enough acidity to cut the richness of the pesto along with some fruit to balance the herbal qualities.
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Ziti with Kale Pesto and Roasted Broccoli
Ziti tossed with zesty kale pesto and roasted broccoli for a tasty and healthy pasta meal.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of broccoli, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4 cups tightly packed kale leaves, stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
- generous pinch red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup (or a tad more) grated cheese– I used a blend of fontina and parmesan
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ozs ziti
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Toss the broccoli with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder and a bit of salt to taste.
- Spread the broccoli out in a single layer in a medium roasting pan. Place in the oven to roast for about 20 minutes until the broccoli turns tender and begins to brown. Remove roasted broccoli from oven and set aside.
- Start boiling water for the ziti after the broccoli has begun roasting. Begin cooking the ziti according to package instructions.
- Add the kale and garlic to a food processor, coarsely chopping to create enough room for the other ingredients.
- Add the pumpkin seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, cheese, and olive oil, and puree until it comes to a nice smooth consistency. Set the pesto aside while the pasta finishes cooking.
- Drain the ziti when it is cooked to your liking. Toss the ziti with several scoops of the kale pesto, and stir to combine. When the pasta is well coated with pesto, stir in the roasted broccoli.
- Plate the ziti, and pass extra kale pesto and cheese at the table for people to help themselves. Serve with an Italian white wine.
Notes
- You can make the pesto while the broccoli roasts and the pasta cooks.
Italian Food, Wine & Travel Posts
Jen from Vino Travels, founder of our Italian Food, Wine and Travel blogger group, hosted a blogging event focused on Valle d’Aosta. That provided the initial impetus for the recipe and wine pairing.
Interested in more great Valle d'Aosta suggestions? Check out the other posts from members of our group.
- Vino Travels - Swept away to the Alpine region of the Valle d’Aosta
- Culinary Adventures with Camilla – Pluot-Glazed Duck Legs and Les CretesTorrette 2011
- Rockin Red Blog – Over the Hills and Far Away
- Enofylz Wine Blog – Veal Ribs with Fontina with Valle d’Aosta Torrette Superieur #ItalianFWT
- Cooking Chat – Ziti with Kale Pesto and Roasted Broccoli
- Food Wine Click – They Sure Love Fontina in the Valle d’Aosta
- Confessions of a Culinary Diva – Valle d’Aosta Fonduta & Wine
- The Wining Hour – Valle d’Aosta Petit Rouge & Fontina
Michelle Williams
Looks like a great pairing David; light and delicious. I also love the label on the wine. How joyful! Cheers.
Cooking Chat
Thanks Michelle, it is a fun label!
Camilla @ Culinary Adventures
You had me at ‘kale’! I will definitely try this recipe soon, David. Thanks for sharing.
Cooking Chat
Thanks, Camilla! We like our kale around here.
Martin Redmond
I’ve said this before…but I love how your recipes seems so tasting AND Healthy David. Sounds like a great pairing with a great dish!
Cooking Chat
Thanks Martin, this definitely scores high on the healthy scale.
Jennifer
Sounds like you hit perfect timing on that tasting. It’s so easy to get around to other countries from this corner region. Haven’t had price blanc myself yet
Christy @ Confessions of a Culinary Diva
Wow! Love the sound of this pesto with the broccoli & kale. This region was such a bright spot in the month. We tried the same white – it was great with cheese!
Jodi
Tasty!