Kale & Basil Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad

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   For the pesto:

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   1.

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   Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned.

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   Set aside to cool.

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   2.

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   Place cooled pine nuts, basil, kale, garlic, salt, pepper, and Parmesan in a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine.

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   3.

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   Stream a few tablespoons of olive oil into pesto while food processor is running, until youve reached the desired consistency.

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   You may not need all of the olive oil.

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    I generally use between 1/2 and 2/3 cup to get it to the right thickness.

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    For the pasta salad:

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    4.

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    Cook pasta in very salty water, according to package instructions for al dente.

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    5.

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    Drain pasta, put it into a bowl and toss with pesto.

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    Set aside to cool.

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    6.

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    When pasta has cooled to room temperature, toss it with the tomatoes, mozzarella, salt and pepper.

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    Place in a covered container in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or until youre ready to serve.

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    7.

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    Just before youre ready to serve, place the prosciutto on a baking sheet (I like to use my non-stick baking mat so the prosciutto comes up easily).

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    Bake at 400 F for 5-7 minutes or until prosciutto is nice and crispy.

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    Prosciutto tends to crisp up pretty quickly, so keep an eye on it.

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    8.

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    Let the crispy prosciutto cool to room temperature and slice it as best you canit will crumble a bit, but thats OK!

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    9.

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    When youre ready to serve, toss the crispy prosciutto pieces with the rest of the pasta salad.

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    If the pasta salad is a little dry, toss it with some more pesto or a drizzle of olive oil.

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    Serve immediately.

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    Notes: 1.

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    I love the bitterness that fresh kale lends the pesto, but to tone it down a bit just blanch the kale before adding it to the pesto to take some of the bite out of it.

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    2.

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    Wait to add the prosciutto until youre ready to serve so that it doesnt get soggy.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.