Best Pauls Favorite Spinach Walnut Pesto Recipes

SPINACH WALNUT PESTO

Spinach Walnut Pesto image

This flavorful pesto is easy to make and will transform your meal into a 5-star dish. It's great served with linguine pasta. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup pesto each pound of pasta.

Provided by Shan

Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes

Time 15m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

2 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup water
3 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

Place spinach, Parmesan cheese, parsley, walnuts, water, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor; blend until well combined. Pour in oil slowly, while processor is running, until mixture forms a smooth paste.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 442.8 calories, Carbohydrate 4.6 g, Cholesterol 17.6 mg, Fat 43.4 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 10.5 g, SaturatedFat 8.3 g, Sodium 460.7 mg, Sugar 0.7 g

FUSILLI WITH SPINACH WALNUT PESTO

Fusilli with Spinach Walnut Pesto image

Categories Sauce Side Walnut Spinach Boil

Yield makes 3 cups pesto, enough for 1 pound pasta, serving 6 people, and 1 1/2 cups extra (see note)

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta pot
9-ounce bag fresh spinach, stems trimmed
2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
2 cups walnut halves, toasted
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound fusilli
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
Pulse the spinach, basil, walnuts, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Process to make a smooth paste, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Pour the fusilli into the boiling water, and cook until al dente. Scrape half of the pesto into a large skillet, and add 1 cup pasta water (no need to heat the sauce). Use a spider to drain the pasta and transfer to the skillet. Toss to coat the pasta with the pesto. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss with the grated cheese and serve.
notes
You can freeze the remaining half of the pesto for future use. Just pack it into a plastic container and pour a thin film of olive oil over the top. Thaw in refrigerator before using. Or you can cut the recipe in half, if you just want enough for 1 pound of pasta.