Spinach-Basil Pesto
Nothing is better than homemade pesto. This simple sauce highlights basil's cool flavor and bright color, and it's so easy to make. Spinach-Basil pesto brings life to a mixture of pasta, beans and corn. Just be sure to blanch your greens to keep the pesto from turning dark and dull. The problem with green pestos is that when tossed with hot pasta, their color can go from vibrant to murky in seconds. So keep your pesto bright by blanching the greens briefly in boiling water, and then 'shocking; them in ice water. This sets the chlorophyll and keeps the pesto from turning a dull brownish-green.
Blanch:
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Pulse with; drizzle in:
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste
- Blanch spinach and basil in boiling water for 10 seconds.
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool, then drain and squeeze dry in paper towels.
- Pulse blanched spinach and basil in a food processor with walnuts, Parmesan and garlic.
- With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil.
- Season pesto with salt.