I love a fresh pesto, it brightens up any dish and just screams spring. I made Fettuccine with Seared Tomatoes, Spinach, and Burrata earlier this week and had some spinach left over. Cooking Light’s latest issue had a recipe for Linguine with Spinach Herb Pesto which uses spinach, basil, oregano, and time to make a creamy pesto sauce. How great does that sound??
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, chopped
- 2 tablespoons organic vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (~1/2 a lemon), plus zest from 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about 1/4 cup)
- 8 ounces uncooked linguine
Add the spinach to a small saute pan over medium heat. Cover and cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Add the spinach, almonds, basil, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and garlic to a food processor.
Pulse until chopped.
Add broth, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse 5 times. Slowly pour olive oil through the chute and process until well blended.
Add to a bowl and stir in half the cheese. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use.
Cook the linguine according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and toss pasta with 1/2 cup pesto.
Add to bowls and top with remaining pesto and remaining cheese.
The pesto had so much flavor and was just oh so fresh tasting. Also, look how gorgeous it looks on that pasta!
I loved how simple this was too! You can make the pesto ahead of time and bring it out for a super quick weeknight meal.
Linguine with Spinach-Herb Pesto
- 4 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, chopped
- 2 tablespoons organic vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (~1/2 a lemon), plus zest from 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about 1/4 cup)
- 8 ounces uncooked linguine
- Add the spinach to a small saute pan over medium heat. Cover and cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Add the spinach, almonds, basil, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and garlic to a food processor.
- Pulse until chopped.
- Add broth, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse 5 times. Slowly pour olive oil through the chute and process until well blended.
- Add to a bowl and stir in half the cheese. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use.
- Cook the linguine according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and toss pasta with 1/2 cup pesto.
- Add to bowls and top with remaining pesto and remaining cheese.
What do you think?