Once upon a time, I owned a lunch cafe and I made the best pesto pasta in town. Fighting words, huh? Well, it’s true. I made the pesto from scratch and it’s the same recipe I use to this day. Today, I’m sharing that same spinach-walnut pesto recipe with you. Once your pesto is ready, simply boil your favorite pasta to al dente, rinse, and toss. It’s amazing.
The base is spinach and walnuts — which is much cheaper, by the way, than a base of basil and pine nuts. Basil is still used, along with Asiago cheese, garlic, and olive oil. Remember to use an ample amount of salt, as it needs more than you think, but be careful not to oversalt.
Freeze extras (an ice cube mold works perfectly for this) or eat within a week. I make mine last a little longer by always storing it in the refrigerator with a tiny layer of olive oil across the top.
For this pesto pasta, I like to use la Molisana. It’s a rotini that is just a little thicker and has a fun, tight spiral shape. I find it at Publix. Image credit: Jamie Clayton
Spinach-Walnut Pesto (to serve with pasta)
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 cloves peeled garlic diced
- 1 large bunch basil stems removed (25-30 leaves)
- 4 ounces Asiago cheese
- 1 11-ounce container of spinach
- Salt to taste
- Use half this recipe to make enough pasta for 12 -15 people. Save the rest!
Instructions
- Place in food processor in this order: olive oil, walnuts, garlic, basil, Asiago cheese, and half of the spinach.
- Now, run the food processor until this is finely mixed. Then add the rest of the spinach and run again until finely mixed.
- Add salt to taste.
- Cook your favorite pasta and toss, using as much pesto as you desire. This makes enough for about 20-30 servings of pasta.
Nutrition
