This quick spinach pesto is bursting with fresh spinach and basil flavor balanced by pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and fruity olive oil. It's a great way to incorporate a ton of greens into a meal and it tastes amazing.Recipe yields pesto for 4 pasta servings (about 250 grams of pasta).
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Total Time5 minutesmins
Course: pesto, Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: spinach pesto
Servings: 4
Calories: 202kcal
Author: Katia
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
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.
Notes
How much spinach? Using a kitchen scale is definitely more precise than cups. However, the recipe is pretty flexible so don't worry about the exact quantities.Spinach pesto leftovers? It easily turns brown but if you smooth the surface and cover with a thin layer of olive oil it keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freezer for 2 months. Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one portion and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.