Power Up with This California Walnut & Kale Pasta from Sepps!

As we kick off 2025, an increasing number of people are embracing a plant-based lifestyle, and with health front of mind as we embrace a new year, it’s easy to see why. To help get you off to a great start, and make those January meals more colourful, we have teamed up with award-winning plant-based influencer Sepps to create a recipe that will inspire you to stick with your plant-based goals. The California Walnut & Kale Pasta is not only vibrant and delicious but also packs a punch of essential nutrients to fuel you throughout the day. Walnuts are a powerhouse to your daily diet, standing out as the only tree nut to contain a significant amount of the essential plant-based omega-3 that bodies need but can only get from food. Walnuts also offer 4.4g of protein and 1.4g of fibre[1], making them a delicious and nutritious choice to fuel your day. *Approx. a handful View this post on Instagram A post shared by Giuseppe Federici (@sepps)   California Walnut, Cavolo Nero & Kale Pasta Recipe developed and photographed by @Sepps – Giuseppe Federici
  • 350 g dried pasta of choice
  • 300 g kale or cavolo nero (hard stems removed)
  • 250 g California Walnuts
  • 200 g silken tofu
  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • approx 100ml olive oil
  • 1 large clove garlic (sliced)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chilli oil to serve
  • 1/2 lemon to serve
  1. Begin by soaking 200g of the walnuts in recently boiled water for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Blanche the kale or cavolo nero in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, remove from the water, rinse under a cold tap, remove the harder stems, and add to a high speed blender or food processor, setting aside 1/4 for garnishing.
  3. Also add the drained walnuts, silken tofu, parsley, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and blend until creamy. Set aside.
  4. Bring a pan of water to the boil, season with salt and cook the pasta until al dente.
  5. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan on medium heat, and add the sliced garlic, soften for 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining walnuts, breaking them apart with your fingers, and remaining kale. Fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
  6. Add the blended sauce to the pan along with the cooked pasta and mix everything all together, adding a ladle or two of pasta water if needed to help loosen the sauce.
  7. Plate up and garnish with the kale and walnut mix, finishing off with a drizzle of chilli oil and squeeze of lemon juice.
References: [1] Food Standards Agency (2002), McCance & Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods, Seventh summary edition. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry