Spinach Pesto
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Packed with leafy greens and bursting with flavor, this juicy spinach pesto is the perfect addition to any dish and great to sneak extra greens into your meal.
And it’s truly delicious, seriously.
We live for pesto in our house, any and all versions. But the recipe that I am sharing with you today is one of my favorite pesto recipes.
I LOVE how the earthy spinach pairs perfectly with the nutty pine nuts and the sharpness of the Parmesan. It’s just so super simple but packs so much flavor.
With just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, you can whip up a batch of this bright green sauce in no time.
Simply toss fresh spinach, basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and a pinch of salt into a food processor, and blend until smooth. That’s it.
The end result? A vibrant, flavorful spinach pesto that’s perfect for pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads. You can even use it as a spread for toast or crackers.
Here is everything you need to know to make a fabulous spinach pesto recipe and enjoy all the green goodness it has to offer!
List of the ingredients
- Spinach
- Basil
- Nuts
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon juice (I forgot to include it in the picture! : )
- Salt & pepper
How to make spinach pesto recipe
(Note: this is a quick description, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Place all the spinach pesto ingredients in a food processor.
- Blitz until desired chunkiness (this comes down to personal preferences!).
- If you prefer a smoother pesto, just add more olive oil or a touch of water.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired.
- Transfer the pesto into a glass container.
- Use your pesto to turn a quick pasta, pizza, sandwich or salad into a wonderful meal!
Recipe notes
Spinach pesto sauce: ingredients & substitutions
Spinach: I use fresh baby spinach to make this recipe, though mature spinach works nicely too. If you have larger spinach leaves, make sure to remove any tough stems before making the pesto. Frozen spinach doesn’t work for this recipe.
Basil: fresh basil leaves add extra freshness and sweet flavor.
Parmesan: to take your pesto to the next level, try to use freshly grated aged parmesan! The flavor is unbelievable.
Extra virgin olive oil: quality extra virgin olive oil is an essential ingredient for pesto, it adds plenty of flavor.
Nuts: I used pine nuts, classic ingredient for green pesto recipes, but they are pricey and if you wonder what to replace them with, the good news is you can use other nuts such as walnuts, blanched almonds, and cashews.
Lemon juice: it adds brightness, a lovely tang, and helps boost the absorption of the plant-based iron found in spinach!
Garlic: other essential ingredient that adds savory bite.
Salt & pepper: to make the flavor pops!
How can you use this spinach pesto?
When it comes to serving this pesto, the possibilities are endless.
Toss it with pasta for a quick delicious dinner, spread it on a sandwich, or top your favorite protein with a dollop of pesto for a burst of flavor. You could even use it as a dip for crackers or as a pizza sauce for a twist on a classic favorite.
What to serve on the side?
If you make a quick spinach pesto pasta, why don’t serve on the side a protein-packed salad like these Italian chickpea salad or cannellini bean salad? But also warm focaccia, arugula frittata or ricotta meatballs would be a great match!
Love spinach?
Try some of these 15+ terrific spinach recipes like these delicious:
- Spinach pizza
- Creamy spinach tomato pasta
- Spinach arugula salad
- Vegan spinach soup
- Spinach avocado salad
And for more pesto-inspired recipes, try this sun dried tomato pasta, pasta with arugula pesto, super versatile parsley pesto and mint pesto!
Lastly, I hope you’ll love this spinach pesto recipe as much as we do. And if you have any questions, let me know… Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!
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Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 cups (6oz/170 grams) spinach, washed and drained*
- ½ cup (10 grams) basil leaves, wash and drained
- ¼ cup (1oz/30 grams) grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts (or cashews, almonds, walnuts)
- 2 small garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- While the pasta is cooking, place the spinach pesto ingredients – except olive oil – in a food processor or blender.
- Blitz until finely chopped then, with the motor running, slowly pour the oil in and blitz until you reach the desired consistency (I like a little bit of texture). If you prefer a smoother texture, you can add a touch of water to help it blitz.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- If you don't use it straight away, transfer into an airtight glass container, smooth the surface, cover with a thin layer of olive oil, and place it in the fridge. It keeps well for up to 2 days.
