Spinach & Parsley Pesto
This is such a simple recipe, I almost didn’t dedicate an entire post to it. But, I wanted to because on Friday I am going to bring you an amazing grain-free lasagna recipe using this pesto in place of a tomato sauce. Boom, get excited!
Of all of the pestos I have made, this is definitely pretty high up on my favorites list. Of course, my all-time favorite will always be made with basil, nothing beats basil. But, this one with spinach and parsley is pretty darn good. I kept it vegan by subbing in some nutritional yeast instead of a regular parmesan, and I really like the subtle cheesy/nutty flavor it gives. I also went with walnuts to change up the classic flavor even more. And let’s face it, pine nuts are flippin’ expensive. #aintnobodygottimeforthat
All you need is –> spinach, parsley, walnuts, nutritional yeast (optional) and extra virgin olive oil. That’s it! I bet you have all of that in your kitchen right now. You will not regret making your own pesto, it is easy and quick. Homemade > store-bought. Every time.
I can’t wait for you to see this pesto in the lasagna on Friday! Stay tuned!
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach leaves, lightly packed
- 1 cup parsley, lightly packed
- 1/2-3/4 cup walnuts
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine the spinach, parsley, walnuts, yeast, salt and pepper. Pulse a couple of times to break up the leaves.
- While the processor is running, slowly stream in the olive oil and let it get to a pesto-like consistency. You can add more oil to thin it out if desired.
I guess this is a stupid question, bur what are the amounts of each item in the pesto. I’ve never made pesto before. Guess I could go on line to find out.
Hi Barbara, that is not a stupid question at all! And I’m so glad you asked because when I published this post, I wrote out the recipe for it. But then for some reason it never published with the rest of the post. I’m going to fix that right now so that you can have an exact recipe. Thank you! 🙂
What is the calorie count, etc?
Hi Lynne! I tried to calculate the calories as best I could, and a 1/4 cup serving is just over 200 calories. You could always use less oil if you want to lower the calorie count.