Spinach Pesto Recipe in 5 Minutes

 

Equipment:

 

• Food processor (for combining baby spinach, lemon, pistachios)
• 1-cup measuring cup
• Teaspoon measuring spoon
• Tablespoon measuring spoon
• Medium bowl (perfect for pesto recipes when combining finished pesto with cheese)

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 Bag baby spinach
• 1/4 cup pistachios (for best results, use roasted lightly salted pistachios)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (adds extra bright flavor)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1/3 cup of high quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Lemon

 

 

 

 

How to Make a Simple Spinach Pesto Recipe

  In the bowl of a food processor, combine baby spinach, pistachios, lemon juice, and lemon zest. With the food processor running slowly, add the extra virgin olive oil. Process until smooth and creamy. Transfer the pesto sauce to a medium bowl. Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and black pepper. Season the pesto sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. The pesto can be made 2 days in advance. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for best results. Thin spaghetti, tossed with these simple ingredients, topped with shrimp, makes an easy weeknight meal. Cindy's Tip: Be sure to grate extra Parmesan over the finished dish. As an Italian girl, I can tell you, you can never have too much Parmesan. Trust me!  

How to Use This Spinach Pesto Recipe with Pasta

  When making pesto recipes with pasta, I always reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. This is especially important when serving pesto with spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or angel hair pasta.  

• The starch in the pasta water helps thin the pesto sauce, so it spreads evenly throughout the pasta and coats each strand. Without it, you may end up with clumps of your pesto instead of a meal filled with good food and fresh flavor.
• I add a large splash of pasta water at a time until I reach the perfect consistency. The sauce should lightly coat the pasta without being too thick or too thin.
• Another benefit of saving pasta water is for leftovers. Store the extra in an airtight container in the refrigerator and add a splash when reheating the leftover pasta. It helps loosen the pasta and brings the sauce back to life.

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