Description
The most delicious spinach pesto pasta—no basil needed! Bathe your favorite pasta in a simple spinach pesto sauce made with fresh spinach, garlic, and lemon. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces (454 g) dry pasta (spaghetti, penne, or rotini)
- 4 ounces (113 g) fresh spinach (about 4 1/2 loosely packed cups), washed and dried
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/3 cup (45 g) pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup (64 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 of a medium lemon)
- Generous 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and cook 16 ounces (1 pound / 454 g) of pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the pasta water.
- Make the spinach pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine 4 ounces (113 g) of fresh spinach, 2 cloves of peeled garlic, ⅓ cup (45 g) of toasted pine nuts, ½ cup (64 g) of grated Parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup (80 ml) of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fresh lemon juice, and a generous ¼ teaspoon of salt. Process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add more olive oil, salt, and/or lemon juice to taste and desired consistency.
- Toss the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the spinach pesto and half of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine, adding more pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Season to taste & serve. Give it a taste and season with extra salt, pepper, Parmesan, or lemon juice if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make ahead: The spinach pesto can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning.
- Storage: Leftover pasta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing the pesto: Extra pesto can be frozen in an airtight container or ice cube tray for up to 3 months. See the Storage Instructions in the post for freezing details.
Nutrition Notes
Nutrition information was calculated using 1-pound of whole wheat spaghetti and reflects ⅙ of the recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ⅓ cups
- Calories: 492
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 299 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
