Spinach walnut pesto
Baby spinach, roasted walnuts and parmesan blended with olive oil
A mild, bright green pesto made with baby spinach instead of basil and roasted walnuts instead of pine nuts. Keep a jar in the fridge and a bowl of just-cooked pasta becomes an instant meal; it is also good stirred into vegetable soup.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Roast 1 ¾ oz walnut pieces in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat, shaking the pan often, for 3–4 minutes until they smell toasty. Let them cool.
4 minStep 2: Put 9 oz baby spinach, 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice, the walnuts, ⅔ oz parmesan cheese and ½ tsp salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice.
Step 3: With the motor running, pour in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream until the pesto is as thick or loose as you like it. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Step 4: Toss through freshly cooked, drained pasta with a splash of the cooking water, or stir a spoonful into a bowl of vegetable soup or an omelette.
Step 5: Store it in a clean jar, covered with a thin film of olive oil, in the fridge for up to a week. For longer, spoon it into a sealable container and freeze; you can scrape out a single spoonful without thawing the lot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 19 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does spinach walnut pesto take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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