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Spinach Pesto Fusilli

Source of Recipe

From "Mad Hungry: Cravings" by Lucinda Quinn


Recipe Introduction

"The allure of store-bought pesto, embellished with weird ingredients and preservatives, is a mystery to me. It's an uncomplicated sauce made with a few ingredients in a food processor! Use it in or on all sorts of things, from sandwiches, to pasta sauce, from soup to a dressing for vegetables. My version, which uses spinach rather than the traditional basil, is a clever way to eat veggies—in a healthy sauce that clings to the insides of corkscrew-shaped fusilli. You can make the pesto a couple of hours in advance."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 ounces baby spinach
â—¦ ¾ cup pine nuts, toasted, plus more for garnish
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
â—¦ ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
â—¦ Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
â—¦ ½ teaspoon coarse salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
â—¦ 1 pound fusilli


Recipe

Put half the spinach in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the remaining spinach and pulse to chop. Add the pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper and purée.

With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl. (If making in advance, lightly coat the pesto with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with the pesto. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4 to 6



• Note:
To toast pine nuts, preheat the oven to 350° F. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer and put in the oven for 10 minutes, shaking the sheet several times. (You can also do this in a toaster oven.)