• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Smart In The Kitchen

Dinner is done!

  • Smart Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Gift Cards
  • About
  • Cooking Classes
  • Kitchen School

Any Greens Pesto

January 6, 2021 By msmart Leave a Comment

JUMP TO RECIPE

Any Greens Pesto

This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.

Yes, you can make fresh pesto in January! Maybe not the super traditional Genovese version, but you can make a bright and fresh “any greens” pesto that will be delicious with pasta, as a sauce for fish or chicken or tossed with roasted veggies.

We just came back from a couple weeks in Idaho over the holiday break and my garden is full and lush. The lettuces, leafy greens and herbs are growing like crazy! Time to snip some leaves and make pesto. The fact that all three of my kids would eat this with a spoon makes me extra happy. I freeze small batches of pesto in glass jars or you can use Souper Cubes (which I absolutely love for freezing stock and soups!).

This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.
This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.
My Rooted Garden!

What is pesto used for?

Pesto can act as a sauce or a flavorful garnish. Of course, most often it’s a sauce for pasta, but it’s also delicious drizzled on pan-seared ribeye, salmon, spatchcocked chicken, and roasted vegetables. Spread pesto on turkey sandwiches, homemade pizza, grilled flatbread or caprese paninis, or add a tablespoon to your salad dressing and shake it up!

How much pesto should I use on pasta?

For a pound of pasta: Before draining your pasta cooking liquid, reserve a little of the starchy water. Drain the pasta and add 1/2 cup pesto to the cooking pot. Add the warm cooked pasta (DO NOT rinse it with water!) and about 1/4 scant cup of the cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Adding the pasta water will help the pesto adhere to the pasta and create a silky and saucy consistency, rather than dry and sticky glob of pasta. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.
Parsley, swiss chard and basil

What kind of nuts can I use?

Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts — basically almost any nut or seed you like the.

What kind of cheese can I use in pesto?

Parmesan lends an umami kick to traditional basil pesto, but it isn’t your only option—any hard, salty, aged cheese (Italian or not) will get you there. Try Grana Padano, Pecorino or even Manchego. (There are Italian grannies currently rolling in their graves…)

How long will pesto last in the fridge?

Store pesto in glass jars or airtight containers in the refrigerator for about a week or in the freezer for about 6 months. Be sure to label and date!

This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.
This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.
This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.

Looking for more sauce recipes?

Arugula, Basil, and Avocado Pesto (Whole30)
Chermoula
Traditional Argentinian Chimichurri
Romesco

This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.
This "any greens" pesto can be prepped ahead and frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.
Print Recipe

“Any Greens” Pesto

Course: Sauce
Keyword: pesto, sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup almonds, pecans, pistachios, walnuts or pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup (about 2 oz) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino or Grana Padano 
  • 3 tightly packed cups greens (basil, spinach, arugula, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, parsley, beet greens, carrot top leaves or a combination of the above)
  • 1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed about 1 teaspoon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt to taste
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Place the nuts, cheese, greens, garlic, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Season with pepper to taste and a few pinches sea salt.
  • Pulse in quick on/off bursts until the mixture is finely chopped but not completely puréed, about 15 times. Scrape down the processor and pulse again to incorporate any larger leaves necessary. 
  • In the feed tube in the top of the food processor, add the olive oil and combine, being careful not to over puree the mixture. Stir in more salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about a week; add a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto to keep it from oxidizing.
  • Note: Can be frozen in ice cube trays or glass containers.

Filed Under: All Recipes, Condiments, Freezer Friendly, Gluten-free/Gluten-free adaptable, Grain-free, Pasta, Sauces and Salsas Tagged With: any greens pesto, arugula pesto, green sauce, herb pesto, herb sauce, kale pesto, pesto, pesto sauce, sauce

Previous Post: « Whole30 Meal Plan // January 2021 // Week 1
Next Post: Whole30 Meal Plan // January 2021 // Week 2 »

Reader Interactions

By Category

By Date

Search

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Primary Sidebar

Marcia Smart
Marcia Smart is a cooking instructor, recipe developer and food writer who wants to help you make good, simple meals for your family and friends. She craves food that's seasonal and delicious and wants to share it with you. A California girl living in a Houston world with her husband and three children.

FIND ME HERE

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

FOLLOW ME ON YOUTUBE

Recent Posts

  • Low Effort Dinners
  • Cinco de Mayo Favorites
  • Big Batch Jalapeño Margaritas
  • Weekly Meal Plan // March 27-April 1
  • Weekly Meal Plan // March 20-25

GET SMART IN THE KITCHEN RECIPES AND NEWS

Categories

  • All Recipes
  • Appetizers and Snacks
  • Basics
  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Casseroles
  • Cocktails
  • Condiments
  • Dairy-Free
  • Dessert
  • Dinner
  • Entertaining
  • Fall
  • Freezer Friendly
  • Friday Love List
  • Gift + Product Guides
  • Gluten-free/Gluten-free adaptable
  • Grain-free
  • Grilling
  • Holidays
  • Instant Pot
  • Kitchen
  • Mains
  • Meat
  • Meatless Mains
  • Mediterranean
  • One-Pot Meals
  • Pasta
  • Poultry
  • Retreats
  • Salad Dressings
  • Salads
  • Sauces and Salsas
  • Seafood
  • Sheet Pan Suppers
  • Slow Cooker
  • Smoothie
  • Soups
  • Spice Mix
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Thanksgiving
  • Travel
  • Uncategorised
  • Vegetable Side Dish
  • Weekly Meal Plans
  • Wellness
  • Whole 30
  • Wine
  • Winter

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • June 2015
  • April 2015

Copyright © 2022 · Smart In The Kitchen