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This spinach pesto recipe is perfect for pasta, pizzas, and sandwiches. It’s healthy, easy to make, and only takes 10 minutes.
Pesto is one of my favorite sauces. It’s so bright and vibrant, and you can use it on so many different foods. This spinach basil pesto just might be the best pesto I’ve ever had. It’s jam-packed with fresh flavors, but it’s super healthy and easy to make.
This pesto still has a ton of basil, but it’s also loaded with spinach. This gives it a slightly milder flavor than traditional basil pesto, which many prefer. Sometimes pesto can be a little bit too intense, but this sauce is perfectly balanced and smooth. You’ve got to try it.
Erin’s Notes
- Cheaper. Pesto is a simple sauce, but it can often be really expensive to make. But not this recipe! Pesto traditionally uses pine nuts, which are one of the most expensive ingredients in the grocery store. This recipe uses toasted walnuts instead, which I think makes the pesto taste just as good but for a fraction of the cost. Spinach is also quite a bit cheaper than basil, so this sauce is so much more affordable than most pestos.
- Healthy. Traditional pesto isn’t unhealthy, but it’s not nearly as healthy as this spinach pesto. Spinach is one of the healthiest ingredients that you can eat, so loading this sauce with it makes it a lot healthier.
- Easy. This is such a simple recipe to make. All you have to do is throw the ingredients in a food processor, blitz them up, and you’re done! The entire recipe only takes 10 minutes, max.
Ingredients Needed
- Spinach – Make sure to use fresh baby spinach for this recipe.
- Basil – fresh basil is required for this recipe
- Garlic
- Walnuts – You’ll want to use toasted walnuts that are unsalted. See notes for other nut options
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup olive oil, approximately
Instructions
- In a food processor combine the spinach, basil, garlic, walnuts, cheese, salt, and pepper.3 cups fresh spinach, 1 cup fresh basil, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
- Process until finely chopped.
- With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil. Add enough oil to get to the desired consistency.2/3 cup olive oil
- Store in an airtight container and serve on your favorite pasta, sandwiches, and pizzas.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 3 months.
- When you store spinach pesto, the oil might separate. Just stir it until everything is well mixed, then serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Spinach Pesto
Here’s how to make this amazing 10-minute sauce.
- Add the dry ingredients. Put the spinach, basil, garlic, walnuts, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor.
- Process. Run the food processor until the ingredients are finely chopped.
- Add the oil. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil. Keep adding the oil until the pesto is your desired consistency.
- Store and serve. Transfer the pesto to an airtight container and it’s ready to be eaten!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Toast the walnuts well. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, checking every few minutes. They should smell fragrant, not burnt.
- Use fresh-grated cheese. A block of parmesan that you grate yourself melts into the pesto far better than the pre-shredded kind.
- Don’t over-process. Stop the food processor as soon as the dry ingredients are finely chopped. Over-processing before adding the oil breaks the pesto down and ruins the texture.
- Season at the end. Parmesan already brings salt, so add just a little at first, then taste and adjust once everything is blended.
- Add lemon juice if you like extra brightness. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end is an easy way to sharpen the flavor, just add it to taste.
Spinach Vs Basil Pesto
The biggest difference is intensity. Basil pesto has a bold, sometimes sharp flavor, while this spinach version is noticeably milder and smoother because the spinach dilutes the basil without canceling it out. That makes it a good option if you love pesto but find straight basil pesto a little strong, and it’s also more budget-friendly since spinach costs less than a large quantity of fresh basil. The two are interchangeable in almost any recipe that calls for pesto.
Recipe Variations
- Different nuts. Pine nuts, almonds, and pistachios all work in place of the walnuts — use the same 1/4 cup amount. Each brings a slightly different flavor, but all three keep the texture and consistency of the original.
- Make it vegan. Swap the parmesan for an equal amount of nutritional yeast. It keeps that same savory, cheesy flavor and the pesto comes together exactly the same way.
How to Serve It
I put this pesto in or on everything. It’s great as a pasta sauce or a pizza sauce, as a condiment on sandwiches or wraps, or just to dip vegetables in. Here are some of my favorite recipes that use pesto. Substitute some spinach pesto for the store-bought pesto in these recipes, and the dishes will be taken to the next level.
- Chicken Pesto Wraps
- Pesto Cavatappi
- Creamy Pesto Tortellini
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Pesto Chicken Burgers
Storage
This pesto will last in the fridge for up to a week, as long as you store it in an airtight container. The oil might separate from the other ingredients a little bit, in which case just give it a stir before using it.
Freezing
Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid, then pop the cubes out into a freezer bag or airtight container. This way you can pull out exactly as much as you need for a single meal instead of thawing the whole batch. Frozen pesto cubes keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or add a frozen cube straight into a warm pan sauce.
Yes. Basil adds classic pesto flavor, but you can leave it out and use all spinach if that’s what you have. The pesto will taste milder, but can be used the same way.
Pesto naturally oxidizes and darkens as it sits out, especially once it’s exposed to air. It’s still safe to eat just give it a stir. Storing it in an airtight container helps slow this down.
I don’t recommend it. Frozen spinach holds a lot of water, which thins out the pesto and dulls the flavor. Fresh spinach gives you the best texture and taste.
That looks so good! I can’t wait to make this. I’ve never had spinach pesto before.
I love spinach and I can’t wait to try this spinach pesto!
This is officially now a staple at my kitchen! My family loves pesto and I am really happy that I found this recipe! Thanks a lot!