Spinach Walnut Pesto

This Spinach Walnut Pesto is the perfect pasta sauce for the middle of winter when you'd love a basil pesto, but can't justify paying whatever the going rate is for several cups of basil in January. The walnuts give it a creamy texture. It tastes so indulgent, but it's so good for you!

Spinach Walnut Pesto

serves 8

1 cup raw walnuts

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

4 big handfuls of baby spinach

Olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine garlic, salt, and walnuts. Process until finely chopped, like crumbs. Fill the bowl with spinach. (I used about 4 big handfuls, which is not very precise, sorry!) Process, stopping to scrape if needed, until well blended. With machine running, pour in olive oil until you get a good consistency. I like mine thinner than soft butter, thicker than salad dressing. (I hope you are not here for exact measurements and such. Cooking is an art, not a science!)

For the pasta, I chose rice spaghetti for the first meal. I sauteed some garlic, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper and tossed that with the noodles before adding the pesto. But that is completely unnecessary as the sauce tastes great on its own. 

I froze the remaining pesto, then thawed it and put it on rice penne (with green beans added in) for lunch. Try it "Genovese" style with cubed potatoes and green beans.