Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound short pasta, like orecchiette, gemelli, or shells
- 3 packed cups baby spinach
- 2 packed cups fresh basil
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds* (see note below)
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
- Meanwhile, combine the spinach, basil, almonds, garlic, oil, miso, and lemon juice in a blender. Don’t blend yet – set aside.
- Generously salt the boiling water and cook the pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente. After about 5 minutes of cooking – when the pasta is not yet cooked through but the water is cloudy – scoop out about 1 cup of the cooking water. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the blender and puree until the pesto is smooth and creamy.
- Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the pesto and lots of black pepper, and stir to coat. Add a splash more pasta water if you want a creamier consistency. Season with salt or more lemon juice, if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
Roasted almonds have a lot more flavor than raw. Here they can be subbed with cashews, shelled pistachios, or pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 390
- Sodium: 354 g
- Fat: 12.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.3 g
- Fiber: 4.1 g
- Protein: 12 g
