Black Olive & Spinach Pesto
This is a lovely twist on a classic pesto – somewhere between a pesto and a tapenade, but without the anchovies. It has a wonderful depth of flavour and, dare I say it, I think I may even prefer it to our more familiar basil pesto. It’s wonderfully versatile too. Toss it through pasta, spread it generously into a crusty sourdough sandwich, serve it alongside grilled meats or roasted vegetables, or add a bowlful to an antipasti board. It’s also really good swirled through a chilled tomato gazpacho, where that salty, savoury olive flavour really comes into its own.This recipe was created for Natural Life Magazine using Udo's Choice Oil
Course Dinner, Dip, Main Course, Salads, Side Dish, Sides & Dips, Store Cupboard Staple
Cuisine International, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 1 Killner Jar (500ml)
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 30 g garlic approx. 2 cloves
- 30 g 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 50 g 3 tbsp whole almonds
- 100 g pitted black olives such as Kalamata
- 60 g young spinach leaves
- 20 g parsley leaves only
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- Seasoning
- 300 ml good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml Udo’s Choice oil
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and blitz for a few seconds. Then continue to whiz while slowly adding the olive oil and Udo’s Choice oil until blended.
- Pour into a sterilised Kilner jar and cover with a layer of olive oil. Close the lid and store in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Maggie's Tips
- A Nut-free option: Omit, no need to replace with anything.
- Dairy-free /Vegan option: Omit parmesan. You can replace with 1 small avocado or leave it out completely.
- Replace almonds with hazelnuts, walnuts or cashew nuts.