Healthy pesto recipe that's delicious without added calories from extra oil. Use this spinach almond pesto to make pesto pasta. Or drizzle it on your favorite soups and salads for a flavor boost.
Heat olive oil in a pan. Sauté almonds along with chopped garlic and chillies.
2 teaspoons olive oil, ¼ cup almonds
Add spinach and stir for a couple of minutes until they are wilted.
3 cups spinach
Allow the sautéed spinach mixture to cool down.
Blend
Place the cooled ingredients in a food processor jar. Add fresh basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and grated parmesan.
a handful of basil leaves, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2½ tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Blend until you get a coarse paste. Scrape the sides and blend again. While the processor is still running, slowly drizzle extra virgin olive oil.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Blend until everything gets combined well and you get the pesto of desired texture.
Video
Notes
Pesto pasta: This recipe gives you about 1 cup of pesto that can be used with 250 to 300 grams (8.8 to 10.6 oz) of uncooked pasta. You get delicious pesto pasta with lots of sauce that can serve 4 to 5 people.
Spinach: Baby spinach works great here. If not available, use the regular one.
Almonds: I’ve used almonds with skin here. If you want a very smooth and creamy pesto, use blanched almonds.
Basil: Use Italian basil for an authentic flavor, or Thai basil for a peppery flavor.
Lemon: Use lemon zest in addition to lemon juice for added citrus flavor.
Cheese: I use Parmigiano-Reggiano which is more flavorful than parmesan. Do not buy pre-grated cheese. Buy a block of cheese and grate it whenever required.
Chillies: You can use fresh green chilies, jalapenos or bird’s eye chilies. If none of these are available, use red chili flakes.
Olive oil: Use regular olive oil to sauté and extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle on the pesto while blending. This will ensure that you enjoy the maximum flavor and health benefits of olive oil.