Spinach Artichoke Basil Pesto

2012-04-06

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Pesto should be one of the seven great wonders of the world.

I’m serious.

Ever since I tasted pesto, about 8 or 9 years ago, I have been on a quest to find a way to incorporate this basil-kissed, olive oil-based sauce into my dishes. I realized pretty early on, that buying basil at the store is ridiculously expensive and therefore, stuck my first basil plant in my flower beds. Even tonight, I purchased one for $2.00 to use for this recipe and planted it after I plucked it’s fragrant leaves.

Over the years, I have multipled the number of plants by many, so as to put containers of pesto away for the winter months, and I am always interested to see a new type of recipe for pesto.

I always love those spinach artichoke dips found at restaurants, so I was thinking, wouldn’t this be delicious in a pasta dish along with adding in some basil and make it a sort of pesto sauce?

I happened to have just planted several basil plants in my garden, and I am praying daily that hail and tornadoes leave it alone. But anyway, I was stocked and all set to make this and experiment with the recipe. The result, I have to say, is pretty fabulous.

At first I dreamed about spreading it across a crunchy, garlicky piece of crostini. I fantasized about what that would taste like. I drooled a little, and then I got down to the business of making it.

I was correct. Oh my goodness, was it good.

You will need one can of artichoke hearts, sections or pieces. I really love using frozen ones and thawing them, but sometimes they are tough to find. So go ahead and get a can if you must.

Thaw or rinse them.

Toss them into a food processor and add in 2 cups of fresh spinach.

Also add in 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves.

Also, add in 2/3 cup of walnuts.

You will also need a heaping 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. I used fresh grated, but in a pinch, the green plastic bottle will do. Just don’t tell anyone. I won’t rat you out, I promise!

Peel 3 cloves of garlic and toss them right in. I love food processors and the fact that they do all the work. And yes, it’s a lot of garlic…but it’s delicious and you can always buy some Tic Tacs for later.

And then add in one teaspoon of salt ( I use Kosher) and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

Put the lid on your processor and pulse it up a bit until it starts to break down.

Then slowly drizzle in about 1/2 cup of olive oil until it forms a thick paste.

But you still want a bit of texture. Don’t make it so smooth, it’s no longer interesting.

And it should be thick enough to hold up on a spoon.

Slice some french bread about 1/4 inch in thickness. Drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and bake it in a 375º oven for about 10 minutes or just until it’s crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

Spread these little babies with your Spinach Artichoke Basil Pesto….add a few chopped tomatoes.

If you want to, you can also serve this as a dip, or toss some with some pasta. Add grilled chopped chicken, sauteed mushrooms and toss it up. Superb!

But tonight…these crostini?

It was heaven, I tell ya.

Katie’s Printable Recipe - Basil Artichoke Pasta and Crostini

Katie's love of cooking and eating good food has led her down a path of fun filled friend and family gatherings around the kitchen. She is an Oklahoma Food blogger, TV food personality for Freedom43tv, author of Food Lovers's Guide to Oklahoma and lover of all all the good things of life!