Raw spinach pesto is a fresh, delicate green cream, a perfect recipe to dress pasta in a few minutes and an ideal spinach sauce to enrich crostini and bruschetta. It is made with fresh spinach, almonds, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon, simple ingredients that together create a fragrant and creamy dressing.
For this recipe I use raw spinach, which keeps a bright color and a fresh, delicate flavor. It is a very quick preparation, ideal when you want to bring something delicious to the table with few ingredients and very little time. One of those simple recipes that are born from what’s in the fridge and often turn out to be the best.
If you love creamy pasta dressings, you can also take a look at my collection of homemade pestos, where you’ll find many easy and tasty ideas to make different pestos from the usual ones.
And if you like spinach, I also recommend my collection of easy spinach recipes, with many simple preparations to serve every day.
This pesto is also a tasty alternative to the classic Genovese pesto and can be used in many different ways in the kitchen.
Don’t know how to use spinach pesto?
Spinach pesto is very versatile: you can use it to dress pasta, spread it on toasted bread or bruschetta, add it to sandwiches and focaccia, or serve it to accompany meat, fish and vegetables.
This homemade spinach pesto is perfect when you want to prepare a quick and wholesome dressing that brings the flavor of fresh spinach to the table in minutes: ready to make it together? Let’s go to the kitchen, but as always I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Also check out these alternative pesto recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make quick raw spinach pesto
Many wonder whether spinach pesto should be made with raw or cooked spinach. In this recipe I use raw spinach, which keeps a bright green color and a fresh, delicate flavor. If you prefer to use cooked spinach, you can blanch them for a few seconds in boiling water, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking. After cooling, drain and squeeze them very well, then proceed to blend them with the other ingredients.
- 8 1/3 cups spinach (fresh)
- 10 leaves basil (if in season)
- 1.5 oz pecorino romano (about 1/3 cup grated)
- 2 oz parmesan (about 1/2 cup grated)
- 1.8 oz almonds (toasted in a pan for a few minutes)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120 ml)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to slow oxidation of the spinach)
Tools
- Blender
Steps to make raw spinach pesto
Wash the fresh spinach well under running water and remove any tougher stems. Dry gently with a salad spinner or by patting with a clean kitchen towel. Alternatively, use bagged spinach that is already washed and dry.
Transfer the spinach to the blender jar together with the basil leaves if in season and add the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Blend for a few seconds until you obtain an initial green cream and the volume of the leaves is reduced. Then add the almonds, the parmesan and pecorino broken into pieces, and the garlic. Also add a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper, then blend again, pouring in a little more extra virgin olive oil if necessary, until you obtain a smooth cream.
The spinach and almond pesto is ready: you can use it immediately to dress pasta, prepare bruschetta, or enrich sandwiches and focaccia.
Storage, notes and tips
Spinach pesto keeps in the refrigerator for about 2 days, stored in a glass jar or an airtight container. To keep it fresher and greener for longer, cover the surface with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil before sealing the container.
Lemon juice not only adds a fresh note to the pesto, but also helps slow the oxidation of the spinach, keeping a bright green color.
If you want an even more aromatic pesto, you can add a few fresh basil leaves, especially when they are in season.
The almonds can be lightly toasted in a pan for a few minutes to make the pesto more aromatic and with a more intense flavor.
If you use the pesto to dress pasta and it seems too thick, you can loosen it with one or two tablespoons of the pasta cooking water when finishing the dish, so as to obtain a softer, more enveloping cream that will cling better to the pasta.
This pesto is perfect for dressing pasta, but also for preparing bruschetta, crostini, sandwiches and focaccia, or to accompany meat, fish and vegetables.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can raw spinach be used to make pesto?
Yes, spinach can be used raw. This way the pesto maintains a bright green color and a fresh, delicate flavor.
How do you prevent spinach pesto from turning dark?
To slow the oxidation of the spinach, you can add a few drops of lemon juice and cover the pesto with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before storing it.
How to keep spinach pesto a nice green color?
To limit oxidation, it is useful to use ingredients that are well chilled from the refrigerator and, if possible, a cold blender jar. Cold slows the oxidation of the leaves and helps keep the pesto greener and brighter.
What can spinach pesto be used with?
Spinach pesto is perfect for dressing pasta, but also for preparing bruschetta, crostini, sandwiches and focaccia. It also pairs well with meat, fish and vegetables.
Can spinach pesto be frozen?
Yes, spinach pesto can be frozen. Pour it into small containers or ice cube trays so you can thaw only the amount you need.
Can almonds be substituted in spinach pesto?
Almonds can be replaced with pine nuts, walnuts or cashews, each time obtaining a pesto with a slightly different flavor.
Can spinach pesto be prepared in advance?
Yes, spinach pesto can be prepared a few hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Before serving, stir it well and, if necessary, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to make it creamy again.
Can pesto be made with cooked spinach?
Yes, pesto can also be made with cooked spinach. In that case it is important to blanch them for a few seconds in boiling water, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep a bright green color. After cooling, squeeze them very well to remove all excess water, then blend them with the other ingredients of the recipe; lemon will not be necessary.
This technique allows you to obtain a more delicate and intensely colored spinach pesto, preventing the spinach from turning dark.Can pesto be made with frozen spinach?
Yes, spinach pesto can be made with frozen spinach.
In this case, you need to cook them first following the package instructions, in a pan or in a little water.
Once cooked, let them cool completely, then squeeze them very well to remove all excess water. At that point you can blend them with almonds, parmesan, pecorino, basil if in season, garlic and extra virgin olive oil, as indicated in the recipe. Lemon is not needed.
