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Sardinian Walnut Pesto with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes | Blue Zones

Chef Joanna

 
 

 

 
 
This is a student favorite. It’s easy to make and it tastes like restaurant quality Italian food.  I recommend pairing it with a simple side salad for a nice meal. 
 
I teach this in my Blue Zones class. You can either serve the pesto with homemade zoodles (which I teach you how to do in the class, or spaghetti pasta)
 
Adapted from the Blue Zones Cookbook
 
 

Why you’ll love this walnut pesto…

  • Walnuts have a meaty texture and are a great substitute for meat (they have protein too)
  • Ready in about 20 minutes
  • Transports you to Sardinia, Italy
  • Goes really well with red wine
  • Less expensive than traditional pesto made with pine nuts and basil
 

SARDINIAN WALNUT PESTO

Time: 20 min.
Serves 6

Ingredients:

Equipment: food processor or blender, pot to boil water, large saute pan to make sauce

Directions:

1. Grind walnuts in a food processor or blender for a couple seconds. Not too much or a paste will form. Just until you get a crumbly texture.

2. Prepare zoodles with a vegetable peeler. Or, if using pasta, cook pasta al dente (with a little bite to it)

3. In a large sauté pan, cook nuts, garlic, parsley and olive oil on a low heat for 5-9 minutes or dark golden brown. Use a low heat to prevent nuts from burning.

4. Add spinach, cherry tomatoes, and zoodles (or cooked pasta) to the pan once pesto is golden brown. Add ¼-½ water to pan if sauce is too thick.

5. Serve with extra parsley and cheese if desired.

In this blue zone, food is always enjoyed with good people and a glass of full-bodied red wine.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Sardinian Walnut Pesto 🌱 . Learn this plant based recipe and more from the Blue Zones! 🔵 This is featured in the ‘Cook to 100’ program. We meet each week for 30-40 minutes on Zoom. We cook, chat and support each other for living a healthy lifestyle. I’ll teach you how to cook no matter your cooking level. . You’ll learn: * How to nourish yourself by cooking for yourself * Healthy lifestyle tips from the Blue Zones (like eat till 80% full) * Some social interaction via Zoom (its healthy) * Easy, quick and healthy meals * Judgment free zone to ask all your cooking questions . Message me if you’re interested! . Music: Miami Musician: Deleted Account. #bluezones #longevity #bluezoneskitchen #plantbased #eatclean #onlinecookingclasses #onlinecookingclass #pesto #longevitydiet

A post shared by Chef Joanna’s Kitchen (@chefjoannas) on

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SARDINIAN WALNUT PESTO

This is a student favorite. It’s easy to make and it tastes like restaurant quality Italian food.  I recommend pairing it with a simple side salad for a nice meal. 

Equipment

  • Equipment: food processor or blender, pot to boil water, large saute pan to make sauce

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup walnuts
  • 3 zucchini or 1 lb. spaghetti or linguine pasta
  • 6 qt. water
  • 2 Tbsp. salt
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 2 Tbsp. parsley chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 c pecorino or Parmesan grated (optional)

Instructions

Directions:

  • Grind walnuts in a food processor or blender for a couple seconds. Not too much or a paste will form. Just until you get a crumbly texture.
  • Prepare zoodles with a vegetable peeler. Or, if using pasta, cook pasta al dente (with a little bite to it)
  • In a large sauté pan, cook nuts, garlic, parsley and olive oil on a low heat for 5-9 minutes or dark golden brown. Use a low heat to prevent nuts from burning.
  • Add spinach, cherry tomatoes, and zoodles (or cooked pasta) to the pan once pesto is golden brown. Add ¼-½ water to pan if sauce is too thick.
  • Serve with extra parsley and cheese if desired.

Notes

In this blue zone, food is always enjoyed with good people and a glass of full-bodied red wine.
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