Creamy Kale Pesto Pasta (paleo, scd, Vitamix)

Whoever it was that invented pesto might be rolling over in their grave right now. This recipe is pretty far from the traditional basil/Parmesan based sauce; however, it does give off the same foodie vibes and, may I add, is much better for you, using kale and all. Plus it's paleo, vegan, SCD, and GAPS compliant.


"Pasta":

1 large spaghetti squash

Cut squash down the center, lengthwise. With a spoon, scrape out all of the icky stuff in the middle of the squash. Take a little bit of oil and rub just the edges, so that it doesn't stick, and place face down in a baking dish. (I extract the seeds and throw them in between the two halves of the squash in the dish and eat them with salt after they are baked, but this is optional and not part of this recipe, necessarily.) Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until you can easily stick a fork through the skin.


Creamy Kale Pesto:

1/4 cup water
1 cup cashews, preferably soaked
2/3 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping cups kale leaves (thick stems removed)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 Tbs white pepper
2 Tbs salt (add to taste)

In a high speed blender like a Vitamix put water in first and then add cashews. Blend on high for about a minute, until smooth and creamy.  Use a spatula to scrape out the cream into a bowl. Set aside.
Without rinsing the container out (there is no need to) add the kale first and then add oil. Blend on speed 7 for about 20 seconds, until the kale condenses down and starts to blend with the oil. Then throw in the garlic and pine nuts and continue to blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
Scrape the contents of the pesto out into the same bowl the "cream" is sitting in. Stir together and add salt and pepper to taste.
When the squash is done use a fork to take the strands out and make it all pasta-like.
Fold in the pesto sauce. (I had about 1/4 cup pesto sauce left over due to the size of my squash, add or reserve as much as you like).
Enjoy.