Bucatini with Spinach Pesto and Mushrooms

Making a spinach pesto is even easier than making a basil pesto. Put  fresh spinach leaves in the blender together with pine nuts, almonds, grated parmesan and olive oil. Oh sure, you can also use mortar and pestle: a great option in case you want to work on your biceps. All in all a great alternative to basil-based pesto, I’d say a bit lighter in taste than the “genovese version” but still perfect as a sauce for pasta (any pasta: spaghetti, bows, penne…). Spinach is surprisingly good to us, as I explained in another post where I used it to get a creamy green smoothie. There is no specific season for spinach and I am pretty sure you can find it in your nearest market. No reason to go for ready-packed or frozen varieties.

If you look for a crunchier pesto where the intense flavor of sun dried tomatoes is beautifully predominant, then this great recipe is definitely right up your alley. Regarding this recipe, I stir fried a few thinly sliced mushrooms in a very little oil just to create an brown crusty layer at the surface. Something you can prepare whenever there’s need to pull off a dinner in less than a 15 minutes, nor fancy or time consuming. Well, to be true,  a way to make this pasta a bit fancier maybe exists: toss a few toasted almonds on the finished plate. You’ll get a nutty twist and pleasant contrast in consistencies.

p.s. Have you noticed than my pictures are all easily pinnable now? Hover on the image (except the one on the top) to invoke the pin it button and share the foodie love, if you like what you see!