Spinach Parsley Pesto

5 from 4 votes

A great, versatile change up from regular basil pesto, with a very fresh and delicate taste.

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Place the garlic, scallions, parsley, and spinach in a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is roughly chopped (or use a mortar and pestle). Add the pine nuts, if using, the oil, and salt and pepper and process, scraping down the sides, part way through, until everything is well blended.
At this point, for best texture, you should transfer the pesto to a small bowl or container before stirring in the Parmesan, but you are welcome to throw the cheese into the food processor and pulse to blend.

If the sharpness of raw garlic is too much for the taste buds of your people, try this: chop the garlic and saute it in the olive oil in a small pan over very low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, just until it is soft and golden but not browned. This will take some of the bite out. Cool, then proceed with the recipe.
Spinach Pesto: Use double the amount of spinach and skip the parsley for a plain spinach pesto. Or cut the rest of the ingredients in half, and only use the 2 cups spinach.
Parsley Pesto: Using all pesto will produce a pesto with a very pronounced herbal flavor. Either double the amount of parsley and omit the spinach, or cut the rest of the ingredients in half and only use the 2 cups parsley.
This pesto will last for about 5 days when tightly sealed in the fridge. The same for Spinach Pesto or Parsley Pesto.
This pesto freezes beautifully! Just prepare the pesto as instructed, but wait to add the parmesan. You can freeze it in greased ice cube trays, and when you are ready for a single serving, thaw it in the fridge overnight and mix in the Parmesan. The pesto will stay good in the freezer for up to 5 months.