Toasted pasta with kale pesto and grilled vegetables and sausage

The sun actually came out for a few days, so I was able to do some more grilling.

But first, the pesto. You'll need to toast some walnuts.


Next, simmer chopped kale and stems for about 10 minutes, or until tender.


Toss the walnuts in a food processer with some garlic, and chop them up. Drain kale, and add to the mix.


Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice, parmesan, and, in this case, mint. Add olive oil while it's running until it reaches the texture you want.


So, for the grilling: What you see here are summer squash, zucchini, and scapes (baby garlic shoots, essentially).


Break out the grill pan, and char the scapes.


Do the same for the squash…


…and the sausage.


Ok, we're almost done. Cook pasta until fairly "al dente". They'll finish off cooking later. NOTE: Normally, I use orecchiette, but the stupid grocery store didn't have any. What you see here are medium-sized shells.


In a large pan, add a decent amount of olive oil over high heat, and when smoking, add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.


Remove excess oil, and add the roasted bits.


At the last minute, add the pesto, and let it warm through.


Serve with more cheese!