Best Spinach Basil Pesto Recipes

SPINACH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Blend the spinach, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until nearly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the mixture while processing until smooth.

SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Place garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add spinach, basil and walnuts. Pulse until chopped. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Continue processing while gradually adding oil in a steady stream. Freeze option: Freeze pesto in freezer containers. To use, thaw in refrigerator.

SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for about 12 minutes, giving them a shake after 6 minutes. Continue roasting until golden brown and toasted. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.
• Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl half way up with ice and water and set close to the sink.
• Dump the spinach and basil into the boiling water and stir. After 1 minute, strain the greens, and plunge them into the bowl with ice water. Drain the greens again and squeeze them tightly to get as much water out as possible. Chop the greens roughly.
• Combine the greens and walnuts with the salt, olive oil and Parmesan in a food processor and process until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.

BASIL, SPINACH AND ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• For the garlic confit. Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a small pan over low heat until warm. Add garlic cloves and cook until very soft, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic cloves, reserving both cloves and oil.
• For the pesto: Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In a small pot over high heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, and blanch basil or chervil until tender, about 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to ice water. Place spinach and arugula in boiling water until bright green and tender, about a minute. Drain well and transfer to ice water. When greens are well chilled, drain well, place in a kitchen towel, and squeeze as hard as possible to remove excess moisture.
• In a blender, combine half the garlic cloves, half of the garlic cooking oil, half of the blanched greens (basil or chervil, spinach, and arugula), half of the hazelnuts and half of the ricotta salata. Blend five minutes.
• Add the remaining garlic cloves, garlic cooking oil, blanched greens, hazelnuts and ricotta salata. Blend, adding 1/4 cup additional olive oil, or more as needed, for two to five minutes, to make a thick but pourable pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend one minute more. If desired, serve over hot linguini or other pasta.

SPINACH AND MINT-BASIL PESTO-STUFFED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• For the pesto: In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the basil and mint 3 to 4 times or until chopped, then add the pine nuts and salt and pulse an additional 2 to 3 times. Add the garlic and cheese, pulse 2 times. With the food processor running, slowly add the oil to blend, this should take 1 minute. Don't over-pulse or puree; this will result in a brown liquid sauce, not a bright herb pesto.
• For the pork: To butterfly the pork, place each loin on a cutting board and slice lengthwise through the center, about 3 inches deep, but not cutting all the way through, until it opens to form a 10 by 10-inch square.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the inside of both loins with salt and pepper and evenly spread the pesto, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle with feta and top with spinach. Roll tightly lengthwise. With butchers twine, tie several knots around the stuffed loins, 4 to 5 times, to ensure even cooking.
• Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saute pan over high heat, season the outside of the loins with salt and pepper, and sear on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and place the loins on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

CLASSIC OMELET WITH SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat an 8-inch pan over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add oil and swirl to coat. Season eggs with salt and pepper and pour into pan.
• Cook, occasionally tilting pan and lifting up set egg. Cook until omelet is just set, 3 to 4 minutes (be careful to not let the bottom brown).
• Spread half the omelet with pesto and flip over other side. Continue to cook until pesto is warm, about 30 seconds more.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH ROASTED PEPPERS, MOZZARELLA, AND SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• In a pot, bring 8 cups water to a gentle simmer and salt heavily (so it tastes like seawater). Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and pepper. Add the chicken to the poaching liquid and simmer until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Allow the chicken to cool in the liquid and remove when ready to use.
• Preheat a sandwich press according to the manufacturer's specifications (see Note, page 96). Thinly slice the chicken breasts and evenly distribute on each of 4 slices of bread. Spread the pesto on top of the chicken and top with the peppers and mozzarella. Top with the remaining 4 slices, and place in the sandwich press (no need to butter the press or the bread). Close the lid and apply slight pressure. Cook without disturbing for 5 to 8 minutes. Open the press and check for color and temperature: the cheese should be melted and the bread golden. If the bread is sticking to the press, allow it to cook for a bit longer and it will unstick itself. If the press seems to generate more heat on the bottom, flip the sandwich halfway through to ensure even cooking (making sure the ridges in the bread line up). Once cooked, remove, cut into halves, and serve.

SIMPLE BASIL-SPINACH PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil, spinach, and pine nuts in a food processor; blend until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add garlic and pulse 15 to 30 seconds. Add oil slowly while food processor is on. Stop to scrape sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Add Parmesan cheese and pulse until blended.

SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, spread out the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 12 minutes, giving them a shake after 6 minutes. Continue roasting until golden brown and toasted. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.
• Fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water, and set it close to the sink.
• Dump the spinach and basil into the boiling water and stir. After 1 minute, strain the greens, and plunge them into the bowl with ice water. Drain the greens again and squeeze them tightly to get as much water out as possible. Chop the greens roughly.
• Combine the greens and walnuts with the salt, olive oil, and Parmesan in a food processor and process until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.

SPINACH & BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Combine spinach, basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds.
• With the machine running, add olive oil. Process until mixture is creamy. This may need to be done in batches.
• Transfer to a glass bowl. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper.

LINGUINE WITH SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rapid boil.
• Divide the Fresh Pasta dough in half, working with one half at a time and keeping the other piece wrapped. Set up a pasta roller attachment on a stand mixer (or secure a hand roller to the side of your work surface). Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough until it is thin enough to pass through the pasta roller. Set your pasta roller to the widest setting. Turn on the pasta roller and pass the dough through once. Fold the rolled-out piece of dough over itself, and then pass through the roller again. If the edges begin to fray or the dough gets sticky or damp, lightly dust both sides with flour. Repeat six or seven more times, until the dough is smooth.
• Adjust the roller to the second widest setting, dust both sides of the dough with flour, and pass it through twice (without folding). Repeat, adjusting to a thinner setting each time and passing through twice, until the dough is thin but not so much that it is translucent.
• Dust a work surface with some semolina flour to keep the dough from sticking. Trim the dough into 10- to 12-inch long sheets, stacking them with semolina between each sheet. Fold the stack of dough sheet in half, and then in half again. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough along the short side of the stack into 1/4-inch thick slices. Unroll the noodles and toss with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining dough.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water and stir immediately. Leave the pasta to cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the green beans cook 1 1/2 minutes more. Lift the pasta and green beans from the water with tongs or a spider and place in a heatproof bowl along with about 1/4 cup pasta water. Pour about 3/4 cup pesto over the pasta and beans and toss well, adding more pesto if necessary. Top with more grated cheese.
• Mound the flour in the center of a clean countertop or cutting board. Make a well in the center of the flour 3 to 4 inches wide.
• Crack the eggs into the well and add a pinch of salt. Using a fork, break the yolks and begin to beat the eggs as you would if making scrambled eggs.
• Continue stirring the eggs with a fork in large circles, slowly incorporating the flour. When the eggs form a thick mass and become difficult to stir, about 3 minutes, fold the loose flour from the edges into the pile with a bench scraper and knead until a smooth dough forms. Discard any excess flour.
• Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 20 minutes before rolling. If waiting more than 1 hour, refrigerate or freeze the dough. The dough will keep refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
• Combine the basil, spinach, garlic and a pinch of salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, stream in the oil through the opening. Add the cheese and process until almost smooth. (Add more oil if needed to create a smooth, spoonable consistency.) Taste and season with salt and pepper; transfer to a bowl.

FRESH SPINACH AND BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• With the food processor running, drop the garlic cloves into the food chute and process for 5 seconds. Add the basil, spinach, Parmesan, and pine nuts to the processor bowl. Process for 20 to 30 seconds, or until smooth, scraping the side once.
• With the processor running, slowly pour 1 tablespoon water, the lemon juice, and oil through the food chute. Process for 10 seconds, or until well blended. While continuing to process, gradually add more water if needed for the desired consistency. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate in an airtight container for two to three days. Return refrigerated pesto to room temperature before serving, if desired.
• Nutrition information
• (Per serving)
• Calories: 53
• Total fat: 4.5g
• Saturated: 1.0g
• Trans: 0.0g
• Polyunsaturated: 0.5g
• Monounsaturated: 2.0g
• Cholesterol: 3mg
• Sodium: 71mg
• Carbohydrates: 2g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 0g
• Protein: 3g
• Calcium: 78mg
• Potassium: 100mg
• Dietary Exchanges
• 1 fat

SPINACH LINGUINE WITH BASIL-CILANTRO PESTO AND ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Pesto: Combine basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, salt in food processor and blend and slowly drizzle in olive oil until relatively smooth. Pasta: Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook linguine to package directions (typically 10 min.) Preheat skillet to med-high with olive oil and saute onion for 5-7 mins until softened. Add garlic and saute for 1 min. more. Add wine, salt, and pepper and cook for 1-2 mins. more. Lower heat. Linquine should be done by now. Rather than drain linguine, use pasta spoon to add it to skillet with some pesto and repeat until it is all in the skillet. Add splashes of pasta water if needed. Add artichoke hearts and toss to coat for 3 min. until heated through.

SPINACH BASIL PESTO (NUT FREE)

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.
• Keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. It also freezes well.

SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until tender, but not browned, about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted and bright green, about 1 minute.
• Remove spinach from pan using a slotted spoon and let cool slightly. Squeeze out excess moisture from spinach, then pulse with basil, hazelnuts, Pecorino, and 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

SPINACH BASIL PESTO PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• 1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, blanch the spinach just till tender, about 1 minute. Drain and get rid of excess water. Put in processor bowl.
• 2. Heat a dry skillet. Add walnuts and toast, stirring and keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. Add to processor.
• 3. Add basil, garlic, Parmesan, and olives to processor. Pulse until well blended. Remove the center tube, turn the processor on and drizzle oil in until you get a good consistency. Taste, add salt if needed. Add pepper to taste.
• 4. Cook pasta according to manufacturers directions.
• 5. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, lightly sautéing for about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and garlic, cooking till mushrooms are wilted.
• 6. Pour pasta into a bowl, add mushroom mixture. Add half of the pesto and a ladle of pasta water. Toss. Add more pesto if needed. Top with a few walnuts and freshly grated Parmesan. Serve with rustic Italian bread.
• 7. Save extra pesto by placing in container and covering with a small amount of olive oil or with plastic wrap on top of the pesto to keep out air which will turn it black. Keep in refrigerator and use as a great dip for bread or crackers, or on other dishes.