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Whip up a delightful Small Batch Pesto using fresh spinach in just 10 minutes! Quick, nutritious, and perfect for elevating your dishes.
Craving for some delicious pesto but only have spinach in hand? Don’t worry, our small batch pesto recipe, made with nutritious spinach, will be your next go-to sauce, perfect for those smaller meals or when you want a quick mix for your pasta.
Try using this easy pesto recipe in creative ways! Swap out tomato sauce for pesto on your next pizza, or use it as a tasty dip with some fresh French bread. It’s great drizzled over a chicken salad, spread on an egg wrap, or mixed with roasted Brussels sprouts. And of course, you can always make a classic pesto pasta.
Why You’ll Love This Spinach Pesto Recipe
- Nutrient-rich: Spinach packs a plethora of vitamins and minerals.
- Quick Prep: Get a delicious sauce ready in just minutes.
- Versatility: Perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or even as a dressing.
- Dairy Delight: The richness of Parmesan cheese balances the earthy spinach.
What Is Pesto?
Pesto is an iconic Italian sauce that originates from Genoa. It is traditionally made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, and extra-virgin olive oil, all blended together.
Spinach pesto is a variation where spinach either replaces or supplements the basil in the sauce. In essence, spinach pesto is pesto with spinach as a primary or supplementary green ingredient.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this pesto recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Olive Oil: Acts as a binder and gives the pesto its smooth texture. Substitute with avocado oil for a lighter taste.
- Parmesan Cheese: Introduces a tangy, salty flavor. For a vegan version, nutritional yeast works wonders.
- Pine Nuts: Adds a rich, buttery texture. Can swap with almonds or walnuts.
- Lemon Juice: Offers a tangy kick. Lime juice can be an alternative.
- Garlic: Introduces a robust aromatic flavor. Reduce if you prefer a milder taste.
- Salt: Balances the flavors. Adjust as per preference.
- Spinach: A fresh, nutrient-rich alternative to basil. Can mix with other greens like kale or arugula for a varied taste. If you’ve got extra spinach, consider using it in Zuppa Toscana, a Crustless Spinach Quiche, or in a Green Smoothie.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
Recipe Variations
Spinach pesto is incredibly versatile, and here’s how you can add your own twist to it:
- Vegan Pesto: Swap parmesan with nutritional yeast.
- Zesty Version: Introduce orange zest for a citrusy burst.
- Spicy Pesto: Add in a couple of jalapeños or chili flakes for a kick.
- Herb Infused: Mix basil or cilantro with spinach for a layered flavor profile.
How To Make Pesto
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make homemade pesto . See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Add the ingredients to a food processor or a blender.
- Puree until smooth, stopping if needed to scrape down the sides so that all of the ingredients are evenly mixed. If your spinach pesto is too thick, thin it out if you’d like with an extra teaspoon or so of olive oil or use water.
- Taste the sauce and add additional salt if needed.
- Use immediately or store.
This pesto recipe will yield 1/2 cup.
Expert Tips
- Fresh Spinach: Always use fresh spinach as frozen can water down the pesto.
- Toasted Pine Nuts: Toast the pine nuts before adding to enhance the pesto with a deeper flavor.
- Storage Tip: Keep the pesto in an airtight container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to preserve freshness.
- Texture Control: For a chunkier pesto, blend in stages; blend thoroughly for a smoother texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Toasting pine nuts elevates their taste, enriching the pesto. While it’s optional, I highly recommend it. However, be attentive while toasting; they can quickly turn from brown to burnt.
Here’s a simple method to toast a small quantity, perfect for our pesto: Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into a small skillet and spread it evenly. Warm it on medium-low for 30 seconds. Introduce the pine nuts, stirring often, until they achieve a golden hue.
Once toasted, swiftly move the nuts to a plate. This halts further cooking and averts potential burning.
Yes, you can. While traditional pesto uses pine nuts, many people use walnuts, almonds, or cashews as alternatives. The choice of nut can subtly change the flavor, but each provides its unique richness.
Homemade spinach pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Ensure it’s in an airtight container, and drizzling a thin layer of olive oil on top can help prevent it from turning brown.
Yes, you can freeze spinach pesto. Just spoon some of the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Then, pop out the frozen pesto cubes and transfer them to a freezer safe container or a freezer bag.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this spinach pesto or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
Small Batch Pesto
Equipment
- mini food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides with a spatula or spoon as necessary.
- Taste and add additional salt to taste.
- Use immediately or transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator covered for up to 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
WOW! Talk about simple and flavor. Thank you. I’ve never made pesto before but I was picking some okra and basil in my garden to add to my shrimp creole so I just continued picking greens. I don’t have spinach but I made it with a blend of arugula, radish greens, basil and parsley. It was so simple to do in the flavor was awesome following your recipe. Now I’m looking forward to making some pisto pasta.
Thank you so much! I love how you used fresh ingredients straight from your garden—that sounds amazing! The mix of arugula, radish greens, basil, and parsley must have added such a wonderful depth of flavor. I’m so glad the recipe was easy to follow and turned out great for you. Enjoy that pesto pasta!
Ridiculously easy and very tasty! I threw the whole bunch of spinach in rather than waste it and just upped the other ingredients accordingly. Can’t wait for shrimp over pesto pasta!
I used parsley as I didnt have spiniach and not really a fan of basil too much, I also added a full tin, including liquid of chick peas. I didnt add extra salt as the chick peas and parm had enough for my liking. I also added sesame seeds which I toasted along with the pine nuts, reading this back I see that I used this recipe as a guide. The liquid from the chick peas make this dip nice and fluffy! I dont think that I would try this for pasta, but most def for a dip for veg!!
Do you always have to use nuts? I have IBS and can’t eat nuts.
You can leave out the nuts, Sheri.
Thank you!
I used up the last bit of my fresh basil and topped off with baby spinach to get the 2 cups. Oh my word, DIVINE! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pesto. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
I have always bought pre-made pesto. Nice to have a fresh alternative.