Squoodles and Zoodles in Kale Pesto with Tomatoes

Squash and zucchini tossed in a fresh kale pesto topped with tomato confit, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

Recipe Keywords:

squoodles zoodles kale pesto tomatoes main_dishes glutenfree vegetarian

servings: 4

total time: 35 minutes

recipe by: Rae

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Dash red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bunch curly kale, stemmed
3 tablespoons pine nuts- separated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
kosher salt to taste
2 zucchini, sliced into thin strips on a mandolin or spiralizer
2 yellow squash, sliced into thin strips on a mandolin or spiralizer

Directions

To make the tomato confit pour the oil into in a large skillet and add the garlic cloves. Heat over medium until oil starts to bubble around the garlic.
Carefully add the tomatoes and gently stir. They will pop like crazy (so if you dont want a mess on your stove go cook this at your friends house) add in the sugar, kosher salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. As soon as the tomato skin starts to blister turn off the heat and allow to sit until cooled.
Bring a pot of water to a boil with a steamer basket fixed to the top. Get a large bowl of ice water ready off to the side. Place the kale in the steamer basket and cover for 30 seconds or so, uncover and stir. recover and cook 30 seconds more.
Place the kale (if you are using a metal steamer basket submerge the basket up to the handles) into the ice water until cool.
Pull the kale out and shake dry. Place in paper towels and squeeze out the water.
Drain the oil off the tomatoes and save the oil, tomatoes and the garlic separately- even keep the pan dirty!
In a food processor add the kale, 1 TBSP pine nuts and the garlic cloves that were cooked in the tomatoes.
Turn on the food processor and slowly drizzle the tomato oil (oil reserved from cooking the tomatoes) while the motor is running.
Turn off the motor and add 1/2 the Parmesan cheese and another 1 TBSP of pine nuts. Pulse until mixed together. Taste and add salt if needed.
Heat the pan that you originally cooked the tomatoes over medium high heat and cook the zucchini and squash until al dente.
Turn off the heat and spoon in the kale pesto. Stir to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts and confit tomatoes.
Serve with the remaining grated Parmesan cheese.