Spinach Pesto
I was craving pesto the other day, as I often do during the warm summer months, but I didn’t have any fresh basil on hand. This is often a problem when basil is the primary ingredient… While normally I would turn to something else for dinner, I couldn’t get the craving out of my head, so I started searching through my refrigerator for what I had on hand.
Admittedly, it was pretty slim pickings. I did, however, have a bag of spinach; it’s leafy, it’s green…this could work!
Using my favorite pesto recipe from Giada’s Everyday Pasta as inspiration, I started swapping and mixing ingredients and working with what I had. The result was a combination of baby spinach, toasted walnuts, lemon juice and fresh parmesan, and it was wonderful!

What is your favorite way to eat pesto? Let me know below!
Paula’s Notes: *I use about 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil in this recipe. If you prefer a thinner or thicker pesto sauce, simply adjust the oil accordingly. *Also, I like to freeze my leftover pesto in ice cube trays, and then transfer them to a freezer bag. This way when you have a pesto craving, simply take out a few cubes and you’re all set!
Spinach Pesto
Inspired by Giada’s Citrus Pesto in Everyday Pasta
Yeild: ~ 2 cups
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- 1/4 cup walnuts – lightly toasted (about 1 oz)
- 1 clove garlic – minced or grated
- 1 tbls. lemon juice
- 1 tbls. chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- You may adjust the oil up or down depending on desired thickness of pesto
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Directions:
- In a food processor, combine spinach, toasted walnuts, minced garlic, parmesan, lemon juice and broth. Pulse several times.
- With processor running, stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached, about 1/3-1/2 cup.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy!
2 Comments
Holly · July 10, 2012 at 7:14 am
Looks excellent!
Basil when it's in season is super cheap here, but once it's gone you can't find it anywhere, which always makes me sad. I agree – pine nuts are too expensive and I always use walnuts too.
Paula M · July 11, 2012 at 2:38 am
Thanks Holly!
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