Toasted Almond Kale Pesto with Parmesan

Steps

1. Prepare first: chop the almonds, strip and tear the kale, pick the parsley, peel the garlic and zest the lemon before you heat anything.
2. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and fragrant, then tip them onto a plate to cool.
3. Add half the olive oil to the same skillet, add the garlic and the kale, and cook, tossing, for 2 minutes until the kale is bright green and just wilted; remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
4. Put the toasted almonds in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped.
5. Add the wilted kale and garlic with any oil from the skillet, the parsley, the Parmesan, the lemon juice, the lemon zest, the salt and the black pepper, and pulse to a coarse paste.
6. With the machine running, pour in the remaining half of the olive oil, then the water a little at a time until the pesto is thick but spoonable.
7. To serve with pasta, toss the pesto with hot drained pasta off the heat, adding a splash more of the water or pasta cooking water if needed to coat every strand.