I think it’s safe to say that I’m a little obsessed with pesto.
Okay, okay…make that a lot obsessed! 😉
But, can you really blame me?!
After all, not only is pesto absolutely delicious, but it’s another one of those foods that frees the experimental chef in me.
Seriously. There are so many different flavor and ingredient combinations to try; I get giddy just thinking about it!!
So, having already explored sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli, I decided to turn my attention to spinach. After all, I’ve always adored spinach, both fresh and cooked, so why not combine it with the beauty of pesto??
Plus, you could literally fill a book on all the health benefits you gain from each bite of nommy spinach. Spinach is packed with bone-healthy vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, and calcium; heart-healthy folate, potassium, and vitamin B6; energy-producing iron and vitamin B2; and free radical-scavenging vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Not to mention it’s a great source of dietary fiber; muscle-building protein; energy-producing phosphorus and vitamin B1; and the antioxidants copper, zinc, and E. In addition, it provides a good deal of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, and heart-healthy niacin and selenium. Finally, not only is it rich in vitamins and minerals, but it’s also loaded with healthy phytonutrients and flavonoids to provide powerful antioxidant protection.
You can see that I wasn’t kidding about the book. 😉
Once I settled on spinach, I then turned up my experimentation dial another notch by using walnuts in place of almonds (my usual pesto nut of choice). After all, I’d already experienced firsthand how beautifully walnuts and spinach pair together. The combination didn’t disappoint this time around either! Even the hubby mentioned how much he looooooved the walnut flavor, and I hadn’t even told him that I used them!
Score!
Spinach and Walnut Pesto
Ingredients:
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 3 bunches fresh basil, stems removed
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- Sea salt, according to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
That’s all there is to it!
Presto pesto!
That was bad.
I know.
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