Spinach Pesto
Spinach Pesto is an easy baby spinach pesto recipe that comes together in minutes with only 5 ingredients. You’ll never buy store bought pesto again!
I’ve told you numerous time that I have a thing for sauces. A great sauce is worth its weight in gold because it changes up your run of the mill dinner and makes it extra special.
This spinach pesto does just that, and is just the thing to liven up your pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, meats, and you name it!
While I’ve shared numerous tomato sauces with you here, I’ve also got a few pestos as well because I love myself a good pesto.
The best part about pesto sauces is you can pretty much use whatever you have — basil, arugula, kale, and yeah — spinach. The sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to what you can make a pesto with.
See my post on How to Make Pesto Sauce to see all of my variations!
This spinach pesto recipe is special to me because I created it during one of my practical exams in cooking school.
We were allowed to choose two types of produce from a wide variety and create a composed dish with them. I chose butternut squash (surprise!) and spinach.
I’d memorized a pastry dough recipe, and knew I wanted to make a savory galette with the butternut squash. And I served it with — you guessed it! — my spinach walnut pesto.
I re-created the Butternut Squash Galette that I made at school and shared it with you here last year, and I have used this pesto sauce in other recipes like my Pesto Chicken Salad as well. I always feel compelled to give a sauce it’s own post, however, because they can be used for so many different types of dishes. We wouldn’t want to pigeon hole a great sauce, now would we? 🙂
This spinach pesto is nice and healthy because it’s made purely with baby spinach. Add some garlic, fresh lemon juice, and parmesan to punch up the flavor, with some toasted walnuts to make it a bit hearty and nutty.
I don’t like to add too much oil to my pesto sauces because I like the freshness to shine most of all. If you like yours with a bit more oil, simply add more to suit your preferences.
This is a great sauce to make on weekends because it keeps for a few days in the fridge until your ready to use it. It also freezes well, too. It’s your ace in the hole when you want to pull a healthy, quick meal together on a busy night, or for last minute entertaining. Like I said, a good sauce is worth it’s weight in gold. 🙂
More pesto recipes you’ll love:
Arugula pesto by Epicurious
Spinach Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons toasted walnut pieces
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the spinach, garlic, lemon juice, walnuts, and parmesan into the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until roughly chopped. With the processor running, add the oil through the feed tube and process until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste, then and add salt and pepper, and process once more. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.
- Use immediately and serve with pasta, pizza, sandwiches, or meats, or store in the fridge for 2-3 days until ready to use. Enjoy!
Notes
- To toast your walnuts, place on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant.
- If you like a thinner sauce, simply add 1-2 more tablespoons of oil.
- This sauce freezes well! You can store it all in one airtight container or place it in an ice cube tray wrapped tightly with foil and plastic and pop out however much you need at a time and thaw.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
43 Comments on “Spinach Pesto”
This pesto is such a beautiful and fresh color Marcie! I am imagining it drizzled on some grilled flatbread. 🙂
Funny you should say that…that’s exactly what I had in mind for it and will more than likely be posting it soon. 🙂
Yum, looks so tasty. I’m pinning this pesto for later to make at home:)
Thank you, Ilona, and I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Fresh pesto is the best especially during the warmer months! Love this spinach and walnut combo, the color is gorgeous and I would find every excuse to put that ton everything! 🙂
Thank you, Kelly, and I have been putting it on everything lately! Hope you’re having a Happy Monday!
I agree with you about sauces! They totally make the meal! I am a sucker for pestos and this looks fantastic!
Thank you, Renee! There are endless options for this sauce and I’ve been using it a ton lately!
Marcie, I think you know how much I love spinach pesto. . and in the summer, I literally put this on everything!! 🙂 love this and thank you for the link love!!! happy Monday!!
I do know how much you love your pesto, and I can’t wait to try yours! Thanks, Alice!
I love homemade pesto, and they are so easy to make.This spinach pesto is wonderful. I’d put it on everything!
Thank you, Thao! This has definitely been getting a lot of use!
Pesto is hands down my favorite sauce, so I’m loving this version, Marcie! It sounds so delicious and very creative, too. Such a great idea to add in spinach. I’m sure it gives it such great flavor! Pinned!
Thanks, Gayle! Pestos are my favorite too, and it’s so fun to change it up! 🙂
There is nothing like fresh pesto! The color is vibrant and the flavor is rich. Love the simple combination of ingredients in this pesto.
Pesto is the best! Thanks, Ashley! 🙂
Marice this pesto is everything! I love how fresh this looks and I bet it goes with everything!
Thank you, Ami, and it does go with everything! 🙂
Love this pesto version! I just so happen to have walnut and spinach at home right now!
Thanks, Natalie! This is one of my favorite pestos! 🙂
I have never understood why people only use one type of nut when making pesto. There are so many different ones you can use and I love your walnut version.
So, true, Dannii — any green, herb or nut work in pesto — sky’s the limit!
Before my nut allergy started, I was obsessed with pestos. Now I need one with no nuts sigh. This looks so good.
I’m sorry about your nut allergy! Truthfully, this would still be great without nuts! 🙂
Gosh that color. One of my favorite parts about pesto! Spinach walnut sounds just perfect – I feel like my pesto making kicks up like times 10 during the warm weather!!
Nothing that color can be bad, right? This sauce is going to be going into overdrive in the coming months! 🙂
I just made spinach almond pesto today for dinner! And spinach walnut is my other fave. So yum and soo healthy!
Oh, almonds! I’ll have to try that next. 🙂
Marcie, I’m going to admit something embarrassing. I’ve never made Pesto. There, I’ve said it. I feel bad. I might be the worst blogger ever… because I know I would love all things Pesto, so why I haven’t done it, is pure bad blogger mojo! I can tell I would love this recipe too – because I adore all of those ingredients. Thank you for inspiring me! xoxo
Do not be embarrassed! I love pesto because I’m lazy and it’s the easiest thing ever! haha I hope you give it a try soon, Kristi! 🙂
Love this pesto- it’s so bright and fresh looking! I bet it’s fantastic on that galette!
Thank you, Allie! 🙂
I love that you made a spinach pesto! This sounds incredible and I could totally see myself eating this in a million different ways!
Thanks, Danielle, and I’ve been doing just that! 🙂
What a bright and pretty pesto, Marcie! Bet it tastes amazing!
Thanks, Denise! 🙂
Beautiful and delicious looking pesto…I like the idea of spinach and walnut…I can only imagine how tasty this would be over some fresh pasta…
Have a great week Marcie 🙂
Thank you, Juliana! 🙂
Pesto has to be one of the greatest things in the world! I love how such a simple sauce can take food to the extreme!
So true, Jamie! 🙂
Oh good, I’m glad it’s rubbing off on you! haha Thanks, Mary Frances! 🙂
I’m a pesto SNOB and this recipe is amazing! I just made it last night and HOLY MOLY. Spaghetti Squash + this pesto recipe + some Paleo meatballs is divine. So yummy!
Thank you so much for the feedback and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I totally need to do the spaghetti squash-meatball thing next time! Thanks for the idea, and have a lovely weekend. 🙂