The farmers market officially opened last Saturday. I went to walk around and get into the spirit of summer and was lucky enough to find a vendor who was selling spinach and baby red swiss chard. I was originally attracted to this farmer's stand because the table held boxes heaped with greens. They were literally spilling over on to the ground. He handed me a medium-sized brown paper bag and said "Fill it up for $4." So I did! I stuffed the bag full of greens. When I got home it was enough to fill two large ziploc bags, and the greens were packed tight. Needless to say, I had a lot of spinach and chard on my hands! We made salads one day. I generally just feel so-so about spinach. I'm very picky about my spinach. If it isn't fresh and in season it just tastes thick and paper-like to me. These leaves, however, were dark green, crisp and sweet.
Tonight my husband is working late. While I do miss his company at the dinner table, it's a perfect opportunity to make a meal that wouldn't be his favorite anyway. He doesn't care for basil pesto and I assured him he'd like spinach pesto, but since he wasn't here, I could make and enjoy it myself!
A few things about pesto. First of all, if you have only had store-bought pesto, then you haven't had pesto. The store-bought stuff is just not good. I've used it in recipes or if I was in a bind, but the basil flavor is strong and less citrusy as the real stuff. Second, if you don't like basil pesto (the traditional kind) you can make it with just about any green: spinach, chard, collards, mustard. Spinach and chard yield much mellower flavors. And third, making pesto is a fluid activity. You can change up the greens and the nuts you use as well as the quantity of garlic. For this recipe I did measure the oil, but usually I just let the pesto speak to me!
Before we start talking about dinner, you must prepare the pesto. This recipe will yield WAY more than you need for an evening of pasta. Lucky for you, pesto freezes well. You can freeze it in ice cube trays until solid, then pop them out into a ziploc bag. Then you can just defrost as needed. Or just throw it all in a ziploc or tupperware and freeze. Or plan a week of pesto recipes! Use it on pizza, in omelets, on sandwiches, on brushchetta, or as a dip!
Spinach Pesto
(1 Tbsp = 85 calories)
Ingredients
8-10 cups greens (I figured a cup was about equal to one handful)
3 garlic cloves (more or less, depending on your preference)
1/4 pine nuts (or walnuts, or pecans if you're desperate!)
1/2 - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest (this ingredient does amazing things)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Add garlic cloves and pine nuts to food processor and give it a good chop.
2. Next add spinach and Parmesan. Start the processor and add oil as spinach is processing. This will be to your taste. Less oil will obviously yield a "drier" pesto, more will yield a smoother pesto. This is no wrong way! Add the oil in 1/4 cup increments, just to be sure.
3. Finally, stir in the lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.
Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
1/3 cup, plus 1 tbsp pesto
8 oz penne pasta (half of a box), cooked
Extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp minced shallot (or red onion, or regular yellow onion if it's all you have)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
shredded Parmesan cheese, optional
Directions:
1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan along with the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute until softened.
2. Turn heat to high and add cooked pasta to the pan. Saute pasta for 2-3 minutes in a hot skillet (until slightly browned). Remove and set aside.
3. Add another drizzle of oil to the pan if needed, a tablespoon of pesto, and the shrimp. Saute until just pink then add the pasta and pesto. Stir to mix and heat through. You might want more pesto depending on your preference.
4. Garnish with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
Tonight my husband is working late. While I do miss his company at the dinner table, it's a perfect opportunity to make a meal that wouldn't be his favorite anyway. He doesn't care for basil pesto and I assured him he'd like spinach pesto, but since he wasn't here, I could make and enjoy it myself!
A few things about pesto. First of all, if you have only had store-bought pesto, then you haven't had pesto. The store-bought stuff is just not good. I've used it in recipes or if I was in a bind, but the basil flavor is strong and less citrusy as the real stuff. Second, if you don't like basil pesto (the traditional kind) you can make it with just about any green: spinach, chard, collards, mustard. Spinach and chard yield much mellower flavors. And third, making pesto is a fluid activity. You can change up the greens and the nuts you use as well as the quantity of garlic. For this recipe I did measure the oil, but usually I just let the pesto speak to me!
Before we start talking about dinner, you must prepare the pesto. This recipe will yield WAY more than you need for an evening of pasta. Lucky for you, pesto freezes well. You can freeze it in ice cube trays until solid, then pop them out into a ziploc bag. Then you can just defrost as needed. Or just throw it all in a ziploc or tupperware and freeze. Or plan a week of pesto recipes! Use it on pizza, in omelets, on sandwiches, on brushchetta, or as a dip!
Spinach Pesto
(1 Tbsp = 85 calories)
Ingredients
8-10 cups greens (I figured a cup was about equal to one handful)
3 garlic cloves (more or less, depending on your preference)
1/4 pine nuts (or walnuts, or pecans if you're desperate!)
1/2 - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest (this ingredient does amazing things)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Add garlic cloves and pine nuts to food processor and give it a good chop.
2. Next add spinach and Parmesan. Start the processor and add oil as spinach is processing. This will be to your taste. Less oil will obviously yield a "drier" pesto, more will yield a smoother pesto. This is no wrong way! Add the oil in 1/4 cup increments, just to be sure.
3. Finally, stir in the lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.
Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
I used shrimp because it's what I had on hand. You could fill yours with veggies (I really wished I had mushrooms) or through some chicken in.
Ingredients1/3 cup, plus 1 tbsp pesto
8 oz penne pasta (half of a box), cooked
Extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp minced shallot (or red onion, or regular yellow onion if it's all you have)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
shredded Parmesan cheese, optional
Directions:
1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan along with the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute until softened.
2. Turn heat to high and add cooked pasta to the pan. Saute pasta for 2-3 minutes in a hot skillet (until slightly browned). Remove and set aside.
4. Garnish with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
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