Spinach pesto, have you ever made it?
It’s so good!
This is a great recipe to have on hand for summer barbecues,
or to use up that bag of spinach in your fridge.
Like basil pesto that I’ll start making when my deck planting takes off, spinach pesto is great as a dressing for pasta salad, a topping for grilled chicken, a drizzle on sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, and tons of other recipes you can add it to.
Super easy to make, so flavorful,
and a bit healthier than creamy pasta salad dressings!
Ingredients
5 oz. pkg. baby spinach
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1 clove garlic
1/4 freshly shredded parmesan
pinch of kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Throw spinach into a blender or Cuisinart and blend until finely chopped.
Use a rubber spatula to push spinach down.
Add lemon juice, garlic, parmesan, salt and pepper; blend.
With blender or Cuisinart running, slowly add olive oil.
Over the years we’ve modified this recipe to use only one glove of garlic so we don’t taste it for the next 24 hours or assault anyone with our breath!
I love how bright green this pesto is!
I like to toss the pesto with freshly drained pasta while it’s still hot, then refrigerate.
To this tortellini salad I added roasted asparagus and broccoli, but you can add just about any veggies depending on what you have in the fridge!
Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays and then added to sauces, soups, and pasta dishes for a punch of flavor.
If you grow a great batch of fresh basil this summer, check out this recipe!
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
we love to do spinach pesto! i like to mix it with basil, but it's a great way to sneak spinach in even to my husband! 😉
Simply LKJ says
We frequently make basil pesto, but will have to try this. Our family does eat spinach so this would be a great alternative.
Vel Criste says
Yummmm, must try this! Thanks Lisa! Also, I accidentally deleted your comment on my JHS party post, can you please try commenting again??? So sorry!
Betsy Dambrosia says
This works well with arugula too …if you are an arugula fan!