Quick Walnut Spinach Pesto
My homemade walnut spinach pesto is always a hit! It’s perfect to use in sandwiches, mixed in with cooked pasta, and it’s delicious on almost anything!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup EACH: olive oil AND walnuts
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano or parmesan
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups baby spinach packed
- ¼ cup basil leaves packed (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- BLEND: In the bowl of a food processor, add the oil, walnuts, cheese, garlic, lemon zest + juice, and red pepper flakes. Run the food processor until the garlic becomes finely minced and the walnuts break down.
- SCRAPE: down the bowl. Then, add the baby spinach, basil, and salt. Continue to run the food processor until the leaves break down into a sauce-like texture. Stop the food processor, taste, and adjust with additional salt. If using pesto for a pasta recipe, I suggest holding off on adding additional salt for now. Place the pasta in a jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
- BASIL: if you don’t happen to have basil on hand, feel free to use another packed ¼ cup of spinach and 2 teaspoons of dried basil instead!
