Spinach Pesto

Spinach pesto is a bright, green hug for anything it meets. Vivid, slightly rustic, and impossibly fresh.

Ready in minutes with a few pantry staples, it lifts pasta, grains, or a warm slice of bread into something joyful. Simple enough for a weeknight, special enough for company.

Keeps happily in the fridge and welcomes a bit of improvisation—exactness is optional, flavor is not. This version celebrates bright spinach without fuss, the kind of sauce that feels like home.

Ingredients

Bright, silky, and a little spicy — this spinach pesto has that fresh, olive-oil gloss you see here. Keep it simple: fresh spinach, nuts, cheese, garlic, a splash of lemon and plenty of good olive oil.

• 4 cups baby spinach, packed
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Quick, bright and utterly useful—this spinach pesto is about keeping things fresh and simple so you get a silky, slightly spicy green sauce in minutes that clings to pasta or lifts a sandwich.

1. Trim and dry the spinach: Pull any thick stems from the 4 cups packed baby spinach and pat or spin the leaves dry so the pesto stays bright and not watery.
2. Toast the pine nuts: Warm a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast 1/3 cup pine nuts, shaking or stirring often, until fragrant and just golden, then let them cool.
3. Prep the garlic: Finely mince 2 cloves garlic or give them a quick pulse in the food processor so they release flavor without becoming bitter.
4. Pulse nuts and garlic: In a food processor pulse the cooled pine nuts with the minced garlic to a coarse crumb, scraping the sides once so everything mixes evenly.
5. Add spinach and cheese: Add the packed spinach and 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan to the processor and pulse until the leaves are broken down but still show little flecks of green.
6. Emulsify with olive oil: With the processor running slowly stream in about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil until the pesto turns silky, stopping to scrape and check texture so it’s not too thin.
7. Brighten and season: Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, pulse a few times and taste, adjusting salt or lemon to your liking.
8. Finish and store or serve: Spoon the pesto into a bowl, give it a final drizzle of olive oil for gloss, then use right away tossed with pasta or spread on bread, or cool completely before refrigerating.

Tweaks and Additions

A few small swaps and extras can nudge this spinach pesto in lots of tasty directions — here are eight friendly ideas you can mix and match depending on what you have in the pantry and how you feel (trust me, they all work great with pasta or on toast).

• Swap pine nuts for toasted walnuts or almonds: Use toasted walnuts or sliced almonds for a nuttier, more affordable flavor and a bit more texture in the pesto.
• Add fresh basil (or a basil-parsley mix): Fold in a generous handful of basil (or half basil, half parsley) for a classic pesto lift and a brighter herbal note.
• Stir in a ripe avocado: Blend in half a ripe avocado for an ultra-silky, creamy texture that’s lovely on sandwiches and gentler than extra oil.
• Fold in ricotta or mascarpone: A few tablespoons of ricotta or mascarpone makes the sauce richer and silkier without covering the spinach flavor.
• Add anchovy for umami: Purée 1–2 anchovy fillets or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste with the nuts and garlic for a savory, salty depth that disappears into the sauce.
• Brighten with lemon zest: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest along with the juice to lift the pesto and give a fresh zing that pairs beautifully with cheese.
• Mix in peppery greens: Swap up to half the spinach for arugula or pea shoots for a peppery bite and more complex green flavor.
• Top with toasted breadcrumbs and extra chili flakes: When serving, sprinkle crisp toasted breadcrumbs (pangrattato) and a pinch more red pepper flakes for crunch and a little heat.