Pasta with Spinach Pesto

Spinach pesto is basil pesto’s mellower, more budget-friendly cousin. Fresh spinach pureed with olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and garlic creates a vibrant green sauce that’s milder and less peppery than traditional Genovese basil pesto, but just as satisfying tossed with hot pasta.

Spinach is available year-round and costs a fraction of what fresh basil does, making this a pesto you can make any time without wincing at the grocery bill. The flavor is gentler too, which makes it more versatile as a base for other additions.

The sauce comes together in minutes in a food processor. Spinach, water (or chicken stock for more depth), olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and garlic get pureed until smooth. That’s it. Pour it over drained pasta while both are still hot so the residual heat warms the sauce and helps it coat every strand.

This pesto stores beautifully. Three days in the fridge or up to six weeks in the freezer, so you can make a big batch and have sauce ready to go on a busy weeknight.

Kitchen Tips

• Pack the spinach tightly when measuring. Loosely packed means less spinach flavor and a thinner sauce.
• Use the pasta cooking water instead of plain water for a starchier, more cohesive sauce that clings better.
• Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet before adding to the processor for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Toss the pesto with the pasta immediately after draining while the noodles are hot. Cold pasta won’t absorb the sauce.

Variations

• Add a handful of fresh basil to the processor alongside the spinach for a hybrid pesto.
• Swap pine nuts for walnuts for a more assertive, less delicate nut flavor.
• Stir in sun-dried tomatoes for color and a sweet-tangy punch.