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Kale polpette with watercress pesto

Name: Kale polpette with watercress pesto
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 250 g (9oz) kale, leaves only (discard woody stalks); 400 g (14oz) tin lentils, drained and rinsed; 1 large egg; 125 g (4oz) fresh breadcrumbs; 75 g (3oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated; 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to grease; 1 garlic clove; zest and juice 1 lemon; 75 g (3oz) blanched hazelnuts; 100 g (3 1/2oz) watercress; 200 g (7oz) wholewheat spaghetti

Polpette may mean meatballs in Italian, but these are packed with vegetables and lentils instead.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 18 January 2016

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Yields:

Prep Time:

25 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

55 mins

Ingredients

250 g (9oz) kale, leaves only (discard woody stalks)
400 g (14oz) tin lentils, drained and rinsed
1 large egg
125 g (4oz) fresh breadcrumbs
75 g (3oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to grease
1 garlic clove
zest and juice 1 lemon
75 g (3oz) blanched hazelnuts
100 g (3 1/2oz) watercress
200 g (7oz) wholewheat spaghetti

Directions

1. Step 1
  Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. In a large pan, gently cook the kale for 3min in 75ml (3fl oz) of water to wilt (stir often). Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Step 2
  Put the lentils, egg, breadcrumbs and hard cheese into a food processor. Whiz to form a thick paste. Lift up handfuls of cooled kale (set aside empty pan) and squeeze out excess moisture. Add kale to food processor with some seasoning and whiz to combine.
3. Step 3
  With lightly greased hands, roll kale mixture into 20 balls. Set on prepared baking tray and brush with 1tbsp of the oil. Cook in the oven for 20min until golden. Fill reserved pan with salted water and bring to the boil.
4. Step 4
  Meanwhile, in the cleaned-out food processor, whiz the garlic, lemon zest and juice, remaining 2tbsp oil, the hazelnuts, 75g (3oz) of the watercress, 1/4tsp salt and 100ml (3½fl oz) water to make a chunky pesto. Set aside.
5. Step 5
  In the large pan of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to pack instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 75ml (3fl oz) pasta water.
6. Step 6
  Return pasta to the empty pan and toss through the pesto, polpette and reserved cooking water. Check the seasoning. Divide among four warm bowls and scatter with remaining watercress. Serve.
  
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Per Serving:

Calories: 689
Fibre: 14 g
Total carbs: 67 g
Sugars: 5 g
Total fat: 30 g
Saturated fat: 6 g
Protein: 30 g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time