A vibrant spinach and walnut pesto recipe that’s full of basil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. This classic Italian pasta dish makes a perfect weeknight meal!

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Step 1: Ingredients

For the pesto:

1/2 cup walnuts

2 cloves large or 3 small of garlic

4 cups packed spinach fresh

1/2 cup packed basil fresh

4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp Olive oil

1/2 tsp salt adjust to taste

1/4 tsp pepper adjust to taste

For the sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup vegetable stock

12 oz spaghetti noodles

Other topping ideas include: sauteed mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, sliced chicken breasts, red chili flakes

Step 2: Make the Pesto

For the pesto:

Place the walnuts into a pan and and toast them on medium low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning. Add half of the pesto ingredients to the food processor. Pulse until combined. Then, add the remaining half of the pesto ingredients to the processor. Pulse again until all of the ingredients are combined and desired consistency is reached.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

For the sauce:

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Transfer the pesto from the food processor to the heated pan. Heat for a minute or so and then add the stock to thin the pesto sauce out. Start with 1/2 cup and work up to desired consistency. Add desired amount of pasta and a small amount of the pasta water. The pesto sauce should evenly coat the noodles.

Toss into a bowl and top with any remaining walnuts and Parmesan cheese.