Homemade Basil and Spinach Pesto

Basil and Spinach Pesto served with pasta is wholesome, nutritious and tasty! It requires limited cooking time, so is great if like me you have an energetic toddler, or may be work commitments limit your time in the kitchen.  This recipe is a homemade spin on a classic dinner; tasty and easy!

Not only is this Pesto, one of our grow your own goodness recipes (The basil is super easy to grow at home, and a great introduction to sowing and growing for you and your little ones!) but it is also packed full of nutrients with the added addition of spinach. The combination of ingredients harvests a dish that is gloriously flavoursome! Quick, Tasty and Healthy, what more could you want from your dinner!

What is Pesto?

• Pesto is an Italian sauce made from basil leaves, cheese, pine nuts and garlic. It’s a perfect sauce to accompany a bowl of pasta, or spread on toasted bruschetta. Our recipe differs slightly to the original. We do not use the pine nuts, instead have added in some iron rich spinach. It works wonderfully with the basil and is a super healthy addition! Pesto is also a great dish if you fancy experimenting with ingredients and flavours! Use quantities listed below, as a guide and have a go!

Storage of Pesto – Can I make ahead?

This recipe is great because you can prepare it a few days before and it still tastes just as good! Of course, you can also store any additional pesto left over, so make enough for days!

-Refrigerate: Store the pesto in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container. To serve, simply heat in a saucepan, before adding cooked pasta (or try Gnocchi with Pesto as an alternative!) you may need to add a drop or two of water to the pesto to soften it as it heats! I enjoy having a small amount left for my son’s lunch the next day, as it is a firm favourite of his and requires no added prep time!

Freezer: You can also store pesto for six months in the freezer, the easiest way being in an ice cube tray and then transferring into a freezer bag. However, it is of note that the quality of the pesto diminishes over longer durations in the freezer.

Prep and Cook time

It takes under five minutes to whizz together the Pesto, just factor in time taken to cook pasta or your choice of accompaniment. If you are looking for inspiration, check out our family serves to find other ways to enjoy your pesto! There is really no meal as good as one that tastes amazing, is a hit with the whole family and can be made in under 15 min!

Difficulty:

This recipe is easy and quick, so is suitable for all abilities.

Equipment list:

This recipe requires the use of a Food Blender to whizz everything together, giving you a gloriously green paste like consistency! You will also need a saucepan, utensils, measuring scales, bowls and a sift (if serving with pasta).

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 25g Basil Leaves (or approx. 2 handfuls of leaves)- we have started to grow our own basil; it is super easy and provides a constant basil harvest on demand! It is a great, easy herb to grow, but shop bought basil leaves work well too!
• 40g Cheddar Cheese- We use Cheddar cheese as there is always some in the fridge! But experimenting with other cheeses is fun and adds differentiation in the depths of flavour.
• 80g Frozen Spinach– You can use either frozen or fresh spinach, frozen spinach is perfect for ease in cooking and a go to for us!
• 1 1/2 tsp of Garlic paste– Once I started using garlic paste I became an instant fan, but you can equally use 2 cloves of fresh crushed garlic.
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice- I use the shop bought lemon juice bottle
• Peppercorns to taste

Step by Step Recipe:

• Start by pulling the leaves off your basil plant (I tend to tear into smaller pieces) and place them into a food blender.
• Add to this the Olive oil and Cheddar Cheese (broken into smaller pieces)
• Measure the frozen spinach and place in a microwave safe dish to defrost (If you are using fresh spinach, measure and tear the leaves and add to the food blender.).
• Once defrosted, add the spinach to the blender before adding garlic and lemon juice.
• Add pepper to taste, before whizzing all the ingredients together until everything is blended, and you have a smooth paste.
• Gently Heat the pesto in a saucepan , before adding cooked pasta or your choice of accompaniment.
• We Serve our pesto pasta with a balsamic glaze, the perfect finishing touch to a fresh and healthy dinner!

Our Family Serves:

Pesto Pasta tastes amazing and is a great go to recipe, however there are some other wonderful ways to enjoy pesto. Here are our favourites:

• Gnocchi with Pesto– Another super accompaniment to Pesto is Homemade Gnocchi, particularly good if you have had pasta too many times recently and fancy a change!
• Pizza- Homemade pizza is a great recipe to try with the little ones! I make this with my son and while cheese does go everywhere, there is a sense of achievement once it is safety in the oven! It sure beats the frozen pizzas and with Pesto it ensures that the green goodness is getting eaten!
• Bruschetta- Crusty bruschetta with Pesto is a regular in our home and a great use of bread that needs to be eaten!
• Chicken and Pesto sandwich- If you are bored of sandwich lunches, then you have to try this Chicken and Pesto pitta sandwich!
• Pesto tart- Pesto is a super fast and tasty topping for any tart, and I must say this has to be one of our favourites! It is a perfect lunch for summery days in the garden or slice it up, pop it in a lunch box and you have the perfect picnic filler!
• Balsamic Glaze- a perfect toping for any Pesto dish has to be this Balsamic Glaze! It adds the perfect burst of flavour, is quick to make and is only two ingredients!

Frequently Asked Questions

Pesto is the perfect recipe for your family!

• This really is a favourite in our house, and it is great to know that it is full of nutritious goodness but also cheap and easy to make! If you want to delve into growing your own Basil then check out our post to see how we got started!