Pasta with Spinach Pesto, Roasted Red Peppers and Sundried Tomatoes

I bought some spinach recently without even thinking about what I was going to do with it.  I have been wanting to make pesto for awhile but in the winter you just can't find good basil and when you do it's already going bad in the store.  Plus it's pretty expensive to buy enough to make pesto.  I'm looking forward to the summer when I will have fresh basil in the backyard and plenty of it too!

I had heard of making pesto with spinach so I did some Googling and came across a recipe at Bell'Alimento.  It was my first time to this blog and I absolutely loved it!  She had a spinach pesto recipe that looked very easy to make.  I made a few tweeks to it and we all loved it.  I've made it with and without the pine nuts.  If you decide to omit the pine nuts you may want to reduce the lemon juice (I didn't).

I used the spinach pesto in this pasta and tossed in some roasted red pepper and sundried tomatoes.  I've also used it to make paninis with turned out fantastic!  Looking forward to trying it on some pizzas next!


Pasta with Spinach Pesto, Roasted Red Peppers and Sundried Tomatoes

2 cups pasta (I used bowtie)

1/2 cup spinach pesto (recipe below)

2 roasted red peppers, sliced

2 tbsp sundried tomatoes (I used the ones that are julienned)

1/4 cup Parmesan

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Boil pasta according to package directions.  Reserve some of the pasta water.

To the drained pasta add spinach pesto and mix.  Add some pasta water if it needs to be thinned out.  To this add in the roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, Parmesan, salt and pepper, mix and enjoy!

Spinach Pesto

Adapted from Bell'Alimento

Note: if you omit the pine nuts you may want to reduce the lemon juice.  I didn't and liked it this way.

5 oz packet of baby spinach

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper ,each

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan

To a food processor add the spinach, pine nuts (if using), lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.  Pulse until pureed.  With the food processor running, gradually add the olive oil.  Next add the Parmesan and pulse till combined.  Use for pasta, pizza and paninis!