Spinach pesto pasta recipe
Meals (Lunch & Dinner)

Spinach Pesto Pasta

Around six months ago, I shared this authentic traditional Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe and it was pretty darn tasty. But, I have to admit that buying pine nuts and parmesan cheese in India did burn a little hole in my pocket. The thing is, once in a while for the sake of experimenting and experiencing authenticity, it’s okay to buy imported ingredients that are not easily available and are a bit on the pricier side. However, in the long run, I prefer to find locally available ingredients that can make me have a similar experience while cooking and eating a dish. In that effort, this recipe for Spinach Pesto Pasta was created, which is mind-blowingly delicious, has an amazing texture and looks stunning.

Winter is a specially great time to make this Spinach Pesto Pasta because 1) Fresh Spinach or Palak is everywhere and 2) Basil is a summer herb, so even if basil is readily available in your area, you might not be able to get your hands on it in the winters. This Spinach Pesto Pasta recipe is also very versatile and adjustable as it can be modified according to one’s own taste and preferences. This recipe is very basic, simple, affordable and most importantly, is a great way to make your kids have their greens.

If you like this Spinach Pesto Pasta recipe, you might also like other pasta recipes on the blog like

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
Spinach Pesto Pasta Recipe

Spinach Pesto Pasta Recipe | How to make Spinach Pesto Pasta

  • Author: Shradha

Description

Spinach Pesto Pasta hits all the right notes as making traditional pesto in India might get expensive as pine nuts and basil are imported.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups for dry fusilli pasta
  • 1 cup spinach leaves, washed thoroughly
  • ½ cup of walnuts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • â…“ cup cheese
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 56 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp mixed Italian dry herbs
  • ½ tsp black pepper powder 
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tomato (optional)

Instructions

  1. First, boil the fusilli pasta in the water on low heat until it’s completely cooked.
  2. Once the pasta is cooked or boiled, keep it aside.*
  3. To make the pasta sauce, put freshly washed spinach leaves in a mixer grinder and grind once to make a paste.
  4. Next, add all the other ingredients like walnuts, cheese, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, Italian herbs, salt, red chilli flakes, black pepper powder and blend to make a smooth pesto paste.
  5. Then, heat a pan on low heat, add the pesto sauce and cooked pasta and mix them together and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they are thoroughly mixed and sufficiently warm. You can also dice a tomato and add it at this point. 
  6. Serve hot, garnish with grated cheese and red chilli flakes.

Notes

One way to ensure that the pasta doesn’t stick while or after boiling is by running it under cold water after it is just boiled so that it stops cooking further. Then, drizzle some oil and coat it in with the boiled pasta nicely.

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *