What’s not to love about a Pesto that’s healthy, packed with nutritious fiber, full of flavor, AND only takes 5-minutes to make? I mean, I’m not sure that there’s anything to beat that! This 5-Minute Healthy Spinach Basil Pesto is capable of taking any ordinary meal (like pasta, pizza, sandwiches, or even salads) and transforming it into an inspired, next level lunch or dinner!
RELATED: 15 Easy Weeknight Healthy Pasta Recipes
With so much amazing flavor and nutrition, this Spinach Basil Pesto is completely life changing. Make a big batch and have it on hand for delicious meals all week long!
Here’s what’s in this post:
Is pesto healthy?
It can be! Pesto in its most traditional sense is a combination of fresh ingredients mixed with a heart-healthy olive oil. Since olive oil is a great source of healthy fat, pesto can work to be a part of a healthy meal. However, just as much as olive oil can be heart-healthy, too much of it and it can creep up in calories. If that is something you are trying to avoid, using an appropriate portion (think tablespoons) of pesto on your meal is the best option.
What goes with pesto?
From pizza to pasta, to casseroles and sandwiches, you can’t go wrong with this Healthy Spinach Basil Pesto. Adding it to a meal is easy, but if you’re looking for some ideas, here are a few of my favorite pairings:
Ingredients/Substitutions
- Spinach – Fresh spinach is they key ingredient in this recipe! Baby spinach works just as well as larger leaves since you’re going to blend them.
- Basil – Dried or fresh! For this recipe, you can use either fresh or dried basil. However, the type that you use will affect the amount of spinach you use, so it’s important to pay attention to this (see notes in the recipe card).
- Minced Garlic – You can easily buy garlic that is already minced and in a jar at the grocery store, but taking fresh garlic and mincing it is also super easy to do with this tool!
- Pine Nuts – Pine nuts are what make pesto have that delicious nutty flavor. Another option is to use walnuts instead!
- Mozzarella – For this recipe, it’s best to use grated mozzarella.
- Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil is my go-to and what I suggest for this recipe!
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is key and the fresher, the better.
Making Pesto Sauce Vegan
Easily make pesto vegan by substituting mozzarella with vegan shredded cheese or cashew cheese!
How to Make Spinach Basil Pesto in Just 5 Minutes
Making this Healthy Spinach Basil Pesto is the easiest thing ever! So yummy and definitely brings the wow factor to the table. To make this sauce in 2 easy steps, you’ll need to:
1. Blend all of your ingredients in your blender or food processor.
2. Serve and enjoy!
That’s it! So easy, right?
Tips & Tricks
- If for any reason you’re not feeling the pine nuts, you can easily swap those out for walnuts! They provide roughly the same consistency and nutty flavor that you’ve come to love from pesto sauce.
- Make this recipe vegan by trading out the mozzarella out for vegan cheese. Still delicious and you won’t even notice that it’s vegan!
- Dried basil works just fine in the recipe and can be used to add that delicious pesto flavor, although fresh basil will be just as good if not better. If you opt for fresh basil, simply reduce the amount of spinach so that your basil flavor can really shine through.
How To Store Pesto
Something wonderful about pesto is how well it can freeze and store! If you made fresh pesto and you only want it for a few meals then it can easily store it in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Other storing options including freezing. Since pesto can be melted into a dish while it is cooking, it’s a great idea to spoon the pesto into ice cube trays and then store in plastic bags in your freezer for up to 6 months! That lets you easily pop one out as you see fit. In airtight jars, pesto can store for about 9 months.
Using Spinach Pesto For Making Pesto Pasta
This Healthy Spinach Pesto is so versatile and perfecting as a sauce for delicious, wholesome pasta! To do simply cook a nutritious pasta (like this chickpea pasta – forever my fave!) according to directions. Add in the pesto and a little bit of extra olive oil. Top with extra cheese, protein, walnuts, and anything else you like. Voila! A Spinach Basil Pesto turned into a hearty Pesto Pasta.
This Is The Ultimate Healthy Pesto Recipe!
It’s really the sauce that takes the sauces. It’s creamy, adds flavor to any meal, has wholesome ingredients and the part I like the best- it only takes 5 minutes to make! You can’t beat those odds. You and your family will LOVE this easy, wholesome recipe for dinner tonight!
More 10-Minute Or Less Recipes
- 10-Minute Avocado Pasta Sauce
- Mediterranean Farro Salad
- 10-Minute Healthy Banana Pancakes
- 5-Minute Iced Green Tea Matcha Latte
The BEST Spinach Basil Pesto (Healthy, 5-Minute Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 Tbsp dried basil (or 1/3 cup fresh basil, replacing 1/3 cup of spinach)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup grated mozzarella
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 medium lemon (juiced)
- salt/pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In food processor or blender, blend all of the ingredients together.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If for any reason you’re not feeling the pine nuts, you can easily swap those out for walnuts! They provide roughly the same consistency and nutty flavor that you’ve come to love from pesto sauce.
- Make this recipe vegan by trading out the mozzarella out for vegan cheese. Still delicious and you won’t even notice that it’s vegan!
- Dried basil works just fine in the recipe and can be used to add that delicious pesto flavor, although fresh basil will be just as good if not better. If you opt for fresh basil, simply reduce the amount of spinach so that your basil flavor can really shine through.
Deborah Brooks says:
I love pesto! Always looking looking for new variations to try. Can’t wait to make this one
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says:
My mouth is watering. I have to make this tonight!
Jessica Formicola says:
Homemade condiments are my jam, and this pesto is perfection! So light, fresh and really flavorful!
Brianna says:
The spinach brings an extra freshness to classic pesto.
Brynn says:
Love the idea of using spinach…we always have some left in the fridge and this sounds like a delicious use for it.
Angela says:
Delicious and bright! Love this recipe.
nadira says:
Still his is great. I will have to give it a try. Thanks
Christine McMichael replied:
Enjoy!
nada says:
I like the final outcome this must be really tested thanks.