How To Make Dinner

menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • 15-MINS
  • 30-MINS
  • ABOUT
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • RECIPES
  • 15-MINS
  • 30-MINS
  • ABOUT
×
Home » Sauces & Condiments

Easy Spinach Walnut Pesto (Without Pinenuts!)

Published: Jan 23, 2019 · Modified: Feb 18, 2025 by Paula · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

Jump to Recipe

A good sauce can turn any bowl of rice, pasta, or salad into a great dinner. This includes my current obsession, Spinach Walnut Pesto.

I am a total sauce junkie. I want all the condiments on the table, all the time. Sometimes when I can’t decide what I want for dinner, I start by making a batch of a sauce or dressing that I love and figure out what to make from there.

Roasted veggies and halloumi with spinach walnut pesto.

Pesto benefits

Pesto is a really nice way to get your greens in. Pulverizing them with a food processor or a mortar and pestle transforms them from a massive pile of leaves into something that fits nicely into a mason jar. A spoonful of this Spinach Walnut Pesto has the same amount of green veggies in it than your average side salad. It’s a great way to use up that bag of baby spinach that’s lurking around in your crisper drawer.

 VIDEO: Warm snap pea salad with spinach walnut pesto and a 7 minute egg

Why no pine nuts?

I made this pesto recipe without pine nuts or basil to show just how versatile pesto can be. In fact, I rarely make the traditional Genovese-style basil & pine nut pesto. Basil isn’t readily available all year round, at least not where I live, and who can afford pine nuts anyway? I make my pesto based on whatever I have around. I use basically any nut or seed I have on hand, and any green thing that looks fresh and calls out to me. Nut-wise I tend to go with almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds, and my favourite options for greens are parsley, spinach, arugula, or a combination of a few of those.

No greens? No problem!

Pesto doesn’t have to be green either. Directly translated, pesto means paste, so theoretically it could be made from anything. For example you’ve probably seen the jar of sun-dried tomato pesto in your travels around the grocery store. It tends to live right next to the green one on the shelf.

 I was eating this chicken all week.

How to make this Spinach Walnut Pesto

This little sauce is a cinch to make, as long as you have a food processor or a high-powered blender. A mortar and pestle works too, but it’ll take much longer.

Start by grinding the walnuts, garlic, and salt in the food processor until everything is roughly chopped. Add in the spinach and parsley, pulse until it’s mostly chopped up, then continue to blend while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

How to customize this Spinach Walnut Pesto

This basic spinach walnut pesto recipe can be altered in many ways. If you want to thin it out for a dressing, squeeze in some lemon juice and/or water. If you want it to be cheesy (which pesto usually is) by all means, get some Parmesan in there! I wanted to show you the most basic version so you could tweak it based on your mood and what’s in your fridge.

What goes well with pesto?

Around my house, this bright green multi-purpose magic sauce makes its way onto things like roast chicken, roasted sweet potatoes or other veggies, french lentils, salads, and so much more. It’s hard to think of anything that won’t be improved with a dollop of this stuff! Here are a few of my favourites:

  • Add a spoonful to a bowl of soup
  • Serve on the side of roast potatoes or other roast veggies
  • Use as a topping for baked potatoes
  • Serve on the side of roast chicken
  • Add lemon juice to turn it into a quick salad dressing for your at-home salad bar

Let me know what you love to eat your pesto with! Tag me on Instagram @howtomakedinner with your pesto creations. 

A jar of spinach walnut pesto with freshly baked bread in the background.

Easy Spinach Walnut Pesto (Without Pinenuts)

This spinach walnut pesto is amazing when drizzled over just about anything. It's quick and easy and lasts in the fridge for days.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Sauces & Condiments
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12 servings
Calories 124 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 100 grams raw walnuts
  • 150 grams baby spinach
  • 50 grams fresh parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 100 millilitres extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt (taste, then add another ½ tsp if needed).

Instructions
 

  • Start by grinding the walnuts and the garlic in the food processor until they are coarsely but evenly chopped.
  • Add the greens and salt, then blend while adding the olive oil in slowly while blending.

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 1.8gProtein: 2.5gFat: 12.8gSodium: 206mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Keyword pesto
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Sauces & Condiments

  • Herbs, spices, and salt, partially mixed together in a green bowl on a pink tea towel.
    Sharena Sol Recipe (Colorful Salt)
  • a bowl of green salad with gochujang tahini dressing with cherry tomatoes and drizzled on top.
    Tahini Gochujang Salad Dressing (Your New Secret Sauce)
  • An immersion blender after blending mayonnaise.
    Mason Jar Mayonnaise (With Vegan Option!)
  • A woman dipping a snap pea into creamy yogurt dill sauce.
    Creamy Yogurt Dill Sauce

Comments

  1. Glenda says

    January 30, 2019 at 11:20 pm

    Relistening to Crimes Against Food and Gloria mentioned putting pesto in her meatloaf recipe. That is pretty intriguing!

    Reply
    • Paula Hingley says

      January 31, 2019 at 4:54 pm

      Whoa I had forgotten about that! I've been trying to find those gals on social media but can't seem to find them!

      Reply
  2. Steven says

    May 13, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Love Sauce! I lean towards hot stuff but this looks so good!

    Reply
    • Paula Hingley says

      May 14, 2021 at 3:39 pm

      You know, adding in a cheeky jalapeno wouldn't be a bad idea...

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Crispy Skin Salmon | A Perfect Dinner In 7 Minutes | How To Make Dinner says:
    May 2, 2020 at 6:04 am

    […] Wondering about the green sauce in the photos? It’s a quick spinach pesto yogurt sauce using my favourite spinach pesto recipe. […]

    Reply
5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome!

Hey! I'm Paula. I'm a former pro cook that makes recipes and videos for deliciously non-fussy dinners (and sometimes breakfast, lunch, dessert, and snacks!)

More about me

Popular

  • Refried beans on a spatula.
    Easy Instant Pot Refried Beans: No-Soak Recipe

  • Kohlrabi Salad With Apple And Dill on a plate.
    Kohlrabi Salad with Apple and Fresh Dill

  • kimchi carbonara in a white bowl with parmesan cheese.
    One-Pot Kimchi Carbonara

  • A woman holding a bowl of stroganoff topped with fresh dill.
    One Pot Stroganoff (With Ground Beef, Chicken, Turkey, or Mushrooms)

Seasonal

  • Air fryer whole chicken with potatoes and lemons on a white serving dish.
    Easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken

  • A spoon of soft polenta cooked on the stovetop.
    How to Make Polenta - 3 Simple Cooking Methods

  • Hosting a Romantic Italian Dinner Party

  • garlic parmesan green beans in a white bowl with lemon wedges on top.
    Garlic Parmesan Green Beans (Oven and Air Fryer Options)

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure

Quick Links

  • Conversion Table
  • Kitchen Journal

Keep in Touch!

  • Sign Up for email updates

Copyright © 2025 How To Make Dinner

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.