Bright green and flavorful, this easy pesto recipe comes together in minutes and is good for pasta, sandwiches, and meats, especially grilled chicken.
Oh, the wonders and versatility of pesto.
Today I'm sharing a spur-of-the-moment spinach lemon pine nut pesto that came to be due to leftovers in my fridge.
Pestos are very easy condiments that come together in ten minutes and are great not only on pasta but also as a spread for sandwiches, with cold grilled meats, and in soups.
Though the original has basil and walnuts, there are many different ones nowadays, like the sun-dried tomato pesto and the cilantro pesto.
How to make pesto
It's a matter of mixing the ingredients together until you have a puree. Or leave some texture in it and make it rustic.
- Immersion blender: I like to use it because I can puree the pesto directly in the container.
- Food processor: also a favorite way to make pesto because I can achieve the texture I want and make a larger batch.
- Blender: it does the work well but I find it tedious to try to transfer the pesto to a container. So I hardly ever use it for this.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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Spinach Lemon Pesto
Easy and versatile, it comes together in 15 minutes and can be used for pasta, chicken, and sandwiches.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh spinach, washed
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh arugula
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice (of ¼ to ½ a lemon)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz. short pasta, cooked
- Grated parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Put all ingredients, except pasta, in the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the metal blade.
- Process for 30 seconds, or until a paste forms.
- Check seasonings and continue to process until it’s puréed to your liking.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container, and a thin layer of olive oil on top, to prevent oxidation.
- Keep refrigerated.
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, toss with pesto, sprinkle with grated parmesan, some extra pine nuts if you want to, and serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: International
Keywords: spinach pesto
Angie Schneider says
wow..you guest post for two blogs? That's really sweet of you, Paula.
Love pesto!
e / dig in says
smothering pesto over pasta or veg and calling it a meal - me too paula. i can't wait for summer to be here and the basil in full flory so i can make my own pesto - but now i am tempted to try this gorgeous green version!
laurasmess.me says
Oh yay! I love new recipes for pesto. I definitely agree, it's such an incredibly versatile addition to mid-week meals. I actually tossed some traditional pesto through mushrooms and asparagus on the weekend, then just ate them with extra parmesan and bread! So good. Heading over to Alice's blog now xx
Laura Dembowski says
This dish definitely looks comforting but at the same time light and fresh! So great to use spinach!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, I know you always have the most interesting pesto recipes - this recipe is another fabulous one as spinach, lemon and pine nuts are a heavenly combination and I do love those wholewheat noodles as well!
Great post, Paula!