This one is inspired by arguably the best pesto pasta I’ve ever had. I found that bowl of green goodness at a local restaurant and have been obsessed with pesto since. My recipe takes a fresh approach to pesto sauce, almost making it chutney-esque by incorporating mint into the mix with altered ratios to the OG pesto recipe. You’re left with a sauce that is fresh and bright! I hope you enjoy my take on it.

Let’s get to cooking.

Prep:

• Prep time: 8-10 minutes

• Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of blanched baby spinach leaves

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves- I pack it in.

• 1/2 cup mint leaves

• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts(crumbled)

• 3-4 garlic cloves

• 1/3 tbsp aged parmigiano reggiano

• 2 tbsp finishing olive oil

• Squeeze of lemon to taste

Recipe:

Thoroughly clean and destem the spinach and herbs. Boil 3-4 cups of water in a saucepan/pot to blanch the spinach in. While the water is heating up, toast the pine nuts or walnuts in a pan over medium-high heat. Make sure to constantly toss the nuts or stir them with a spatula to avoid uneven toasting or burning. You can roast it in the oven, but this way is so much faster with time and steps.

After the water starts boiling, blanch the spinach for 2 minutes and strain it in a colander.

Add all your ingredients into a food processor and pulse-chop until you have a coarse puree.

Pro tip: Olive oils are not all made the same. Invest in a good finishing olive oil for pesto. A well-made finishing oil packs more concentrated flavors, using less of it.

The spinach adds more moisture to the sauce than a traditional pesto sauce, hence leaving you with a sauce that coats food better than a traditional pesto sauce, in my opinion. The texture then plays well with mint and lemon's fresh and zesty flavor, reminiscent of a chutney.

Cooking pesto pasta
I add a splash of olive oil to a hot pan, throw in the pasta straight from the boiling pot, add pesto mint sauce, and stir. Toss your pasta until evenly coated, and serve hot with a squeeze of lemon and shaved parmigiano reggiano.

You can use my pesto sauce in many recipes! Salads, sandwiches, roasted veggies, you name it.