Kale Basil Pasta

When I graduated from college I was gifted with a high power blender, a Blendtec!  I really didn't have a preference when it came between a Blendtec or Vitamix; my mom had one and my sister had the other. They both were good to me, so I LOVED my gift. When I went online and registered the beaut it also came with weekly recipe emails. I usually just ignore them (am I the only one who gets 10,000 ad emails a day but is hesitant to unsubscribe because I am convinced they will send me a free gift or something?!), but one day Blendtech sent me a recipe for Whole Wheat Spinach pasta. My husband and I always wanted to get a pasta attachment for our Kitchenaid but could never justify the $200 purchase. After I got the recipe, I decided that if I made homemade pasta enough my dear husband would be convinced we needed the pasta attachment. Long story short, it didn't work. BUT some good did come out of my pasta making stint - this adaptation of Blendtech's recipe. Quinoa Kale Basil Pasta. Yes. It's just as delicious as it sounds. 

Back to my KitchenAid- one attachment we did buy was the wheat grinder, and I love it. I pretty much find anything I think will turn to some sort of flour and grind it. I usually always have a Ziploc bag of quinoa flour in my freezer so I can use it things like this to add some protein.

This pasta really isn't too difficult to make. I'm not encouraging you to make your own noodles from now on out, but this is fun to do when you want to do something special or different. It's also a great way to add in some greens!

First we will need to gather supplies: food processor or high power blender, pizza cutter, and parchment paper or Silpat. Scratch the last two ingredients if you have a pasta maker. Fill your pot with water and set on the stove. 

Now we get to the pasta making. You will need four cups of greens. I prefer to do 2 cups fresh basil leaves and 2 cups chopped kale, loosely packed. I have also done spinach/basil, which is positively delicious, but always use at least half basil or the kale will be too overpowering.  

Next you will throw the greens, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 large egg and 2 Tablespoons water into the food processor.

Pulse until the greens are nice and blended. If you don't like seeing little specs of green kale, I would pulse for quite a while, continually scraping down the side.

Next you are going to add the flour. You will need 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. I know in my introduction I said it was quinoa, but I was out of quinoa and quinoa flour, so with this batch I made it with whole wheat flour. If you do use quinoa flour, do 3/4 cup whole wheat and 3/4 cup quinoa flour. When using whole wheat flour, if I haven't ground my own, I prefer Trader Joe's White Whole Wheat flour. (see bottom for tip on grinding quinoa).

 Add the flour and pulse until it forms a ball. If it isn't coming together try adding a little water.

Lay your parchment paper out on the counter. Spray it lightly with non stick spray, and then sprinkle it with flour. You really don't want this dough to stick or the final product doesn't come out that pretty.   NOW turn your stove on so the water is boiling by the time you are done rolling and cutting.

I cut my dough in half and roll it out separately. But you could do it all in one if you'd please. The key here is to roll it out THIN THIN THIN into a rectangle or square. If you don't get it thin enough the final product doesn't really come out all that great (I'm speaking from experience here :). When you think you've got it thin enough, just do us a favor and roll it out one more time. so it's thin like paper.

Because too long of pieces are difficult to work with, I first cut it in half, and then cut it into thin strips. I also seemed to have forgotten I have a tiled counter, so my pieces came out extra special and curved.

 Separate the noodles and drop them into the pot of water and add an extra pinch of salt. Boil for 6-8 minutes.

Drain, and serve warm! I love it best with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. It's also delicious with a good basil pesto or a classic pasta sauce! Whatever you choose, don't let the dressing take away from the pasta, add just enough to complement the dish. You worked hard for that homemade pasta, savor the flavor of your effort! And make sure everyone eating it knows that you made it from scratch.

Kale-Basil Pasta

Recipe by The Everyday Veggies, slightly adapted from Blendtec

Serves 3

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

2 cups loosely packed kale

1 1/2 cups flour (I used all white whole wheat, but you can use half quinoa flour)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons water

1. Gather your greens, egg, salt, and water, and place them in a food processor or high power blender.** Pulse until finely pureed. 

2. Add in the flour and pulse until a ball forms. If the ball isn't coming together try adding 1/2 teaspoon water, if that doesn't work, try adding 1 tablespoon extra flour. 

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil on the stove. 

4.  Lay out a large piece of parchment paper, and generously spray with non stick cooking spray and then sprinkle with flour. Roll out your pasta dough until it's paper thin. If it's easier for your space, cut the dough in half and roll them out separately. With a pizza cutter, slice your dough into long noodles. Separate and add into the boiling water and let boil for 6-8 minutes. Drain. Serve warm. 

Serving Suggestions: Drizzle olive oil, salt & pepper, and a hint of lemon juice. Basil pesto, or a classic pasta sauce. 

** If you are doing it in a Blendtec, use the twister jar. If you don't have a twister jar and are using a normal jar with a high power blender, you will need to double the recipe. 

Making your own quinoa flour:

Making your own flour really is easy, especially if you have a wheat/grain grinder. If you have a high power blender, that also works! 

Grinder Method:

If you have your own grinder, start by riding 2 cups of quinoa. It should come out to a little bit over 1 cup of flour. Now that you have ground it once, go ahead and send it through again. This makes sure that it's a fine flour, not a course gritty flour. 

Blender Method:

Go ahead and start with 2 cups of quinoa, and just turn on your blender. You may need to turn it off periodically and give it a shake to make sure the quinoa pearls are being ground evenly. 

Use the 3/4 cup for the recipe and store the rest in a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer.