This is a lovely thing to have on hand to add to your sandwich or pasta. I add it to ground chicken and chickpea as well. Very easy to make and stays fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Since I am allergic to most nut, except almonds and pistachio, I skip the pine nuts in my spinach pesto and add almonds.
Ingredients (Yield: About 2 Cups)
- Spinach – 2 Cups, blanched and water squeezed out.
- Cilantro – 1/2 Cup, packed (you can use parsley as well)
- Almonds – 14 or 16
- Garlic – 2 fat cloves
- Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
- Pepper – 1/4 tsp
- Salt – a little
- A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
In a mixer or food processor, pulse the almonds a few times. It will resemble a coarse powder. Add the garlic cloves, and give it another quick pulse or two. Then add the spinach, cilantro, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon (optional) and pulse till you get a smooth paste. Sprinkle the salt and pepper and give it one last pulse. Done in this sequence, I always get a smoother paste. May be it is my mixer but done in any other sequence I have ended up with chunks of almonds or garlic in my pesto. Not that I mind, but the husband and 5 year old will definitely make a face!