Description
This vibrant and flavorful Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pesto combines the rich umami of sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan with fresh spinach and almonds, blended into a creamy and chunky sauce. Perfectly paired with toasted slices of bread, this pesto makes an excellent appetizer or snack that’s quick to prepare and bursting with Mediterranean-inspired taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Pesto
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
- 3/4 cup (1.5 – 2 oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated or coarsely chopped
- 3 cups (2.5 – 3 oz) spinach
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
To Serve
- Day- or days-old bread, sliced thinly
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt, for seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare the pesto ingredients: Place the almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh spinach, garlic clove, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor. Add fresh cracked pepper and a few pinches of sea salt to season.
- Pulse to combine: Pulse the ingredients 10 to 15 times until the mixture is finely chopped but not completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl and pulse again if necessary to ensure even texture. Then transfer the mixture to a bowl.
- Adjust and finish the pesto: Stir in 1/2 cup of olive oil into the pesto mixture. Taste and adjust by adding more olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, or pepper as desired for balance and creaminess. Store the finished pesto in a jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Toast the bread slices: Preheat your oven to 450ºF (232ºC). Arrange thinly sliced day-old bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle the slices lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- Serve: Spread the sun-dried tomato and spinach pesto on the toasted bread slices and enjoy as a delicious appetizer or snack.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Danielle Kartes’s Rustic Joyful Food: My Heart’s Table.
- Use day-old bread for optimal toasting results and texture contrast.
- Store pesto refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Adjust olive oil quantity based on desired pesto consistency.
- For a nuttier flavor, almonds can be lightly toasted before processing, if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons pesto with 1 slice toasted bread
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
