Once upon a time, I owned a lunch cafe and I made the best pesto pasta in town. Fighting words, huh? Well, it’s true. I made the pesto from scratch and it’s the same recipe I use to this day. Today, I’m sharing that same spinach-walnut pesto recipe with you. Then, boil your favorite pasta to al dente, rinse and toss with pesto. It’s amazing.
We featured this pesto pasta in our Make-Ahead Weekend Spring Lunch party, but you can make this any season. The base is spinach and walnuts, which is much cheaper, by the way, than a base of basil and pine nuts. Basil, Asiago cheese, garlic and olive oil are also used. And remember to use an ample amount of salt, as it needs more than you think, but be careful not to oversalt.
Freeze extras (an ice cube mold works perfectly for this) or eat within a week. I make mine last a little longer by always storing it in the refrigerator with a tiny layer or olive oil across the top.
For this pesto pasta, I like to use la Molisana. It’s a rotini that is just a little thicker and has a fun, tight spiral shape. I find it at Publix. Image credit: Jamie Clayton
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 cloves peeled garlic, diced
- 1 large bunch basil, stems removed (25-30 leaves)
- 4 ounces Asiago cheese
- 1 (11-ounce) container of spinach
- Salt to taste
- (Use half this recipe to make enough pasta for 12 -15 people. Save the rest!)
- Place in food processor in this order:
- Olive oil
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Basil
- Asiago cheese
- Half of the spinach
- Now, run the food processor until this is finely mixed. Add the rest of the spinach and start again and run until finely mixed.
- Add salt and taste, until to your liking.
- Cook your favorite pasta and toss, using as much pesto as you desire. This makes enough for about 20-30 servings of pasta.
