Spinach Pesto

Spinach Pesto

I have to apologize for my absence this past week.  We were traveling, and in the midst of all that my daughter got a promotion, which means she will be moving to Minneapolis quickly. 

I’ve been scrambling while she’s working her full time job to research areas in Minneapolis for her to live that will meet her needs, and also within a 15 minute drive to work in Minnetonka.  It’s challenging since none of us have ever been to the state.

In a week the two of us will fly there and spend 2 days scouring the area, looking at various apartments in St. Louis Park, Uptown, the North End and Loring Park.  At the end of the 2 days she will have selected an area that she feels meets her needs, and an apartment. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

To say the least that’s been my #1 priority.  I hope to get a few recipes posted this week, and scheduled for next week before leaving to find her an apartment.  It’s all very exciting and bittersweet at the same time. Thank goodness she’ll just be a 1 hour flight from home.

Last week the kids were coming over for dinner, and asked if I’d make some pesto.  We love pesto and typically I have a homemade jar in my refrigerator.

I went to the grocery store to purchase some basil, since I don’t have my own garden, but unfortunately the stores I visited didn’t have enough, or what they had looked spotted and brown. I opted to purchase spinach instead as a substitute for the basil.

I’d never made spinach pesto for my family before, but have to say they all enjoyed it more than the basil pesto.  I did as well!  The spinach pesto didn’t have an aftertaste like basil pesto often does.  It was a huge hit, and quite frankly it’s easier to find the ingredients at the stores, and less expensive.

Pesto can be whipped up in just minutes using a food processor, large or small.  If you don’t think you can finish it all before it goes bad, then simply pour it into an ice cube tray to freeze.  Once frozen remove the cubes from the tray, and place in a plastic freezer storage bag until ready to use.  Then just defrost.  In our home pesto disappears in just a few days, so I keep ours stored in a covered jar in the refrigerator.

Here’s my recipe! Plus, later this week I’ll share some dishes using the spinach pesto that I think you’ll enjoy – so be sure to stop back by.

Spinach Pesto

Spinach Pesto

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • ½ cup plus 3 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, place pine nuts, spinach, garlic, and sea salt and process to a paste. Add the cheese and drizzle in the olive oil. Store in a jar, topped with oil.
  2. Pesto can be used in many dishes. From dips, to spreads, with fish, chicken, meats, eggs. on sandwiches and pasta, just to name a few. Make up a batch of your own for a fraction of the price that it would cost to purchase the ready-made variety in the stores and you’ll never buy it again.

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14 comments

  1. Congratulations on your daughter’s promotion, Vicki.
    Gorgeous spinach pesto..love its vibrant green colour.

    • Thank you Angie.  I’ve been scrambling to try and get as much as I can done for her while still trying to do some of my own stuff.  I love this pesto and because I can find fresh spinach so much easier than basil it’s going to be my new go to pesto.  My husband even likes it – he can’t stand the basil pesto.

  2. That’s exciting, but I totally understand, bittersweet at the same time about your daughter. It does make getting together all the more special though.
     Love the beautiful color of your pesto! It’s nice to have an alternative to basil pesto too!

    • Unlike you I don’t have a garden but am tempted to grow one now.  It seems like the basil just doesn’t look great anymore and it’s hard to find large packages of it and when I do much of it is brown or has  mold on it.  So spinach works out great and doesn’t have a bitter taste to it which apparently gets 2 thumbs up from my family.

      I don’t know how you do it Chris with your kids living in London – that would be hard for me.  I’d probably have to buy a little place there just so I could visit frequently.  I’m glad my daughter will just be an hours flight from home.

  3. The color is just magnificent! So glad it was a hit. Good luck to your daughter—my mom went to college in St. Paul and my parents loved going up to the Twin Cities often. I have a feeling your daughter will love it there—well, maybe not the winters!

    • Everyone we’ve talked to that has lived there or lives there now loves it.  They only have great things to say about it and then mention the weather.  She’ll just have to be sure to get a long down coat for those winter months and some heated gloves and feet warmers.  

      I hope you try this spinach pesto – it’s yummy!

  4. Congrats to your daughter! Minneapolis is a lovely city. She probably knows about the City Data Forum, but if she doesn’t, that’s a great place to get some basic info about the city from locals. Anyway, love the color of this! I’ve never made spinach pesto but really like the idea. Thanks!

    • Actually neither of us knew about City Data  Forum so she’s going to check it out.  Thanks for sharing that.  

      I hope you try the spinach pesto I think you’ll like it.  

  5. Well done for putting your priority where it should be. Our blogs are important but they don’t come close to our children.  You’ll have such a good time helping her get settled in her new digs. I hope everything makes her happy.

    Your pesto makes ME happy!  What a gorgeous color.

    • Yes you’re right my family comes first for everything.  They are what’s most important.  I spent the day today in front of the computer and talking to apartment complexes all over the MN area.  My eyeballs are ready to fall out of my head – if you know what I mean.  I’m very excited though to go there and visit the city where she’ll be taking up residence.  It sounds wonderful from what everyone says except for the cold.  A nice full length down coat can cure that – I hope!

      If you try this pesto please let me know what you think of it.

  6. Congratulations to your daughter, nice that she is only a short plane ride ahead, I bet she is excited and nervous all at the same time. Your spinach pesto looks delicious, can’t wait to see what you prepared with it.

  7. That’s great that she’ll only be an hour away! This pesto looks SO good and like it would be perfect with most summer meals!

  8. Yum! This looks so good! I love it and I can’t wait to try it. 

  9. Seems heavy on the olive oil. Did you really mean 1 1/4 cups of oil?

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