This mild spinach-basil pesto tastes fresh, herbal, and nutty. It is super easy to make in a food processor or blender. Toss it with any kind of pasta and enjoy! This pesto also tastes delicious in sandwiches (mix with some mayo or cream cheese), on pizza (add a drizzle of olive oil), as a dip (mix with some sour cream), and as addition to salad vinaigrettes!
Author: carbgirl.com
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Yield: 2servings (½ cup)
Ingredients
8oz(225 g) maccheroncini or any other pasta
1packed cup (40 g) baby spinach leaves
¼ packed cup (10 g) fresh basil leaves
3-4tablespoons olive oil
¼cup (25 g) walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted(raw are fine too, see note)
¼ cup (20 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1organic lemon, optional
Instructions
Bring salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook according to the package instructions, 8-10 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, combine spinach, basil, olive oil, walnuts, Parmesan, and salt in a food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture is well blended, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. If you prefer a chunkier pesto, stop processing while it still has some texture.
Taste, and adjust salt if necessary. If you feel it lacks zing, add a squeeze of lemon juice or some grated lemon zest.
Drain pasta, but reserve some of the pasta water. Toss pasta with the pesto and add some of the pasta water, if needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Walnuts: While using raw walnuts is totally fine, toasting them for 10 minutes in a 350°F preheated oven takes the pesto to the next level.Storage: Store leftover pesto, if there is any, in a covered container in the refrigerator for several days. To prevent the pesto from changing color during storage due to oxidation, place the pesto in a container, flatten its surface, and pour a thin layer of oil over the top of the pesto. Cover with a lid. It also freezes well.