Pesto is a great way to upcycle the leftover greens and nuts in your kitchen. The pistachio and baby spinach gives this pesto a vibrant hue and adds a wonderful brightness to salads, sandwiches and pastas. The pistachios produced a creamier texture than a traditional walnut pesto. It’s also a great way to sneak in green veggies for the little ones. Enjoy!
key ingredients
- Baby Spinach: I used two cups of baby spinach. I densely packed a measuring cup with baby spinach by gently pressing down on the spinach in the cup. I point this out because if your pesto ends up becoming too thin, just add a bit more spinach and/or basil to the pesto. Other great substitutes are kale or full leaf (mature) spinach.
- Basil: I measured the basil the same way as noted in the baby spinach section.
- Pistachios: Other great substitutes are walnuts, pine nuts or cashews.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: I used freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fine Sea Salt
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
key steps
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until you get a fine consistency. After processing it for a couple of seconds, I like to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spoon to ensure all the bits of spinach and basil or finely processed.
That’s it! It’s so easy!
ways to use pistachio pesto
- Pastas: It’s a great way to serve up a quick dinner! I love to use penne, rigatoni, orecchiette or fusilli with pesto.
- Sandwiches: Pistachio pesto makes a great spread for sandwiches. I love mine with fresh mozzarella or burrata, tomatoes and salami.
- Dip: I love dipping focaccia or a crusty bread with pesto.
- Soup Garnish: A great garnish for tomato soup or roasted red pepper soup.
how to store pesto
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Pesto holds well in the freezer as well. I like to pour the pesto in ice cube trays for individual servings.
- Prevent Browning: Place a piece of plastic over the pesto or add a thin layer of olive oil to the top to prevent it from browning in the fridge.
Spinach Pistachio Pesto
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves no stems, densely packed
- 2 cup baby spinach no stems, densely packed
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil you may want to add an additional tablespoon over oil if needed
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until you get a fine consistency. After processing it for a couple of seconds, I like to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spoon to ensure all the bits of spinach and basil or finely processed. Enjoy!
