Spinach Pesto

5 from 6 votes

This Spinach Pesto is a love letter to classic pesto, but with a major nutritional upgrade. It’s got all the nutty, herby richness you’d expect from a pesto, but features walnuts instead of pine nuts, and nutrient-dense spinach alongside basil! Make a batch during meal prep and enjoy flavor-packed, superfood-powered meals all week.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Condiment, Dip, Sauce

Cuisine: Italian-Inspired

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: ¼ cups (~500g)

Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

1 cup (112g) walnuts, broken into pieces (or pine nuts) (see Note 1)
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
5 ounces (140g) baby spinach
4 loosely packed cups (50g) fresh basil leaves
2 small (or 1 large) lemons, zested + 4 tablespoons (60 mL) juice
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1 to 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper) (omit or reduce for very mild heat)
¼ cup (20g) nutritional yeast
½ cup (112g) extra virgin olive oil (see Note 2)
1 to 2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)

Instructions

Toast the nuts: Heat a large dry frying pan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the walnuts and toss from time to time, until they smell nutty and are darker by a few shades, 4 to 5 minutes (see Note 3).
Add the toasted nuts and garlic to a food processor. Blend until you have a fine crumb (but not a paste). Add the spinach and basil, pressing down as needed to fit. Blend until you have a coarse paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
NOTE: If your food processor is smaller, do this in two batches.
Add the lemon zest, 4 tablespoons (60 mL) lemon juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half amount sea salt), a few cracks of black pepper, chili flakes if using, and nutritional yeast.
Blend until a paste forms, scraping down the sides as you go. With the motor running, stream in the extra virgin olive oil until it forms a thick sauce.
If using, add in the capers and pulse a few times to incorporate.
Taste, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed. If your basil isn’t the best quality, you may need to add a pinch of sugar.
NOTE: the consistency may be a bit thicker and creamier than classic pesto.
Store pesto in a large sealed jar in the fridge for about 1 week. Or, freeze in ice cube trays; once set, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for 3 to 4 months.

Notes

If nut free, use 1 cup (140g) pepitas. Toast using the method in step 1.
For a slightly lighter pesto, you can use ⅓ cup (75g) of olive oil, and stream in 2 tablespoons of water. Or, replace half of the olive oil with some ripe avocado.
If you want to toast a larger batch of nuts, feel free to do this in the oven for more even and hands-off toasting. Spread the nuts out on a sheet pan and roast in the oven at 350°F / 175ºC for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through. Once cooled, store leftover roasted walnuts in a jar in the pantry for 1 to 2 weeks.

Nutrition