spinach and basil pesto

Name: Spinach and Basil Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cup(s) basil; 2 cup(s) spinach leaves, stems removed; 1/3 cup(s) walnuts; 1/4 cup(s) Parmesan cheese; 1 - 2 clove(s) garlic, roughly chopped; 1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon(s) sea salt or to taste; 1 teaspoon(s) lemon juice (optional)

1 Pinch

Carolyn Haas

Whitewater, WI

Updated on Oct 27, 2025

I rescued the last of my basil before a frost. It wasn't enough on its own for pesto, so I added spinach. You can also use a mixture of spinach and arugula.

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prep time 10 Min

cook time

method Blend

yield 1 cup(s)

Ingredients

2 cups basil
2 cups spinach leaves, stems removed
1/3 cup walnuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 - 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

How To Make spinach and basil pesto

Step 1

Wash and pat dry basil and spinach leaves. Place in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped.

Step 2

Add walnuts, garlic, and Parmesan. Pulse until well blended.
Step 3

Pour in oil while the processor is running on low. Add salt and lemon juice. Pulse once more. Taste to see if more salt is needed.
Step 4

Store in refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of pesto. It can be successfully frozen in an ice cube tray and then used as needed.
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