Spinach pesto
Spinach is a very versatile vegetable. You can eat it raw, or sautéed, or you can throw it into soups, stews and sauces for an extra nutritional punch.
My favorite use for spinach is making pesto. Pesto can be used in so many ways. You can mix it with your favorite pasta, use it as a base for pizza, spoon it over grilled meat or seafood. We love it with scallops. I plan on making a lot of it this summer and freezing it for a taste of spring next winter.
Freezing pesto
The best way to freeze pesto is to simply spoon it into an ice cube tray, and then stick it into the freezer. Pop out the frozen cubes and drop them into a Ziploc bag. Take them out as you need them, a little goes a long way. I don’t recommend microwaving them to defrost them (it’s a texture thing). Let them sit out until they come to room temperature, or throw them into your hot pasta.
Pesto recipe
What you’re gonna need
- 1 cup of tightly packed basil (you know, more or less to taste)
- 1 cup of spinach
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- About 3/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted walnuts (put ‘em in a dry pan over low heat until they become fragrant, about 5 minutes)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, depending on your preference (see below)
What you’re gonna do
- Pack your food processor or blender with all your ingredients.
- Pulse for a few seconds and then begin to drizzle olive oil until you get the consistency you want.
Done! In the time it takes to cook the pasta you have dinner ready.