Spinach Parsley Pesto

5 from 4 votes

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A great, versatile change up from regular basil pesto, with a very fresh and delicate taste.

Spinach Parsley Pesto in glass jar.

I love pestos for their versatility.  Having a little jar of pesto in the fridge means you can perk up a soup, make an appetizer, dress up a simple piece of chicken or fish, all in seconds.  The most basic, traditional pesto usually involves basil, Parmesan, olive oil, sometimes nuts, and salt and pepper.  But home cooks and chefs everywhere have long wandered outside of those parameters; this one features parsley and spinach and tastes wonderfully green.

Spinach Parsley Pesto

What Does Pesto Mean?

Pesto actually means “to pound” or “to crush,” referring to the original utensil used to make pestos: a mortar and wooden pestle.  The ingredients of pesto were ground, kind of pounded, with the pestle in the mortar, using a circular motion.  Definitely how they made pesto not only back in the day in Italy, but still to this day in traditional kitchens.  I also just went to Japan for the first time, and saw the most beautiful mortars and pestles there….all over the world people like to grind and crush spices and other ingredients.

Spinach Parsley Pesto

If the sharpness of raw garlic is too much for the taste buds of your people, try this: chop the garlic and saute it in the olive oil in a small pan over very low heat for 5 to 10 minutes just until it is soft and golden but not browned. This will take some of the bite out. Cool, then proceed with the recipe. It’s an extra step, but it can be done ahead of time, and you may want to make more – garlic oil is nice to have in the fridge for impromptu French bread, starting any kind of soup or stew or sauté or stir fry, and also to enhance salad dressings.

(10 Minute) Spinach Parsley Pesto: A great, versatile change up from regular basil pesto, with a very fresh and delicate taste.

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Spinach Parsley Pesto

How to Use Spinach Parsley Pesto:

And you should also check out 10 Things to Make with Leftover Pesto.  You never want to make just the right amount of pesto for one recipe—you’d gyp yourself out of another 1/2 dozen delicious things later in the week.

Plus check out this Spinach Parsley Pesto Garlic Bread:

Spinach Parsley Pesto Garlic Bread

And these roasted carrots with Spinach Parley Pesto:

Roasted Carrots with Spinach Parley Pesto

And these crostini with Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche blended with Spinach Parley Pesto:

Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche Puff Pastry Tartlets

The ideas, they keep on coming!  This will last for a week tightly sealed in the fridge. And think about dolloping it on some very simple marinated and Grilled Chicken Breasts.

Other Sauce and Condiment Recipes:

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5 from 4 votes

Spinach Parsley Pesto

A great, versatile change up from regular basil pesto, with a very fresh and delicate taste.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12 people

Ingredients 

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • cup minced scallions
  • 2 cups packed parsley leaves
  • 2 cups packed roughly chopped fresh spinach
  • ¼ cup pine nuts optional
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse or kosher and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Place the garlic, scallions, parsley and spinach in a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is roughly chopped (or use a mortar and pestle). Add the pine nuts, if using, the oil, and salt and pepper and process, scraping down the sides, part way through, until everything is well blended.
  • At this point, for best texture you should transfer the pesto to a small bowl or container before stirring in the Parmesan, but you are welcome to throw the cheese into the food processor and pulse to blend.

Notes

If the sharpness of raw garlic is too much for the taste buds of your people, try this: chop the garlic and saute it in the olive oil in a small pan over very low heat for 5 to 10 minutes just until it is soft and golden but not browned. This will take some of the bite out. Cool, then proceed with the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 95mg, Potassium: 118mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1387IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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4 Comments

  1. If I make several bottles do I refrigerate or freeze for future use. How long can it be refrigerated and/or frozen?

    1. Pesto is a great ingredient to have on hand in the freezer! I’ve always make a big batch the base sauce without the Parmesan, then freeze serving-sized discs in muffin tins… Bag it, and add a disc or two to drained pasta in the original pasta pot over low heat, and add the Parm. I’ve used various pesto recipes this way up to 6 months past the original freeze date, and it makes meals incredibly quick!

  2. 1st time making pesto. I did mix some sesame oil with olive oil. I’ll be sure to save this recipe! Turned out delicious!

  3. Made half recipe for us today while making dogs food. Yes they love herbs too, This will be great on our salmon filets tonight. I pour extra olive oil on top and freeze rest