This was one of those dishes that was born on the spur of the moment.  The conversation went something like this:

Messy – Hey, what do you want for dinner?

Hubby – Whatever you want.

Messy – Well, I’m asking you.

Hubby – Pesto!  Pasta with pesto!

Messy – I don’t have pesto.  You need basil and pine nuts, I don’t have basil and pine nuts.  Wait… maybe I have something for it?  I have spinach!  Want spinach pesto?  Spinach and pistachio pesto?

Hubby – Whatever you want.

(Most of our “what’s for dinner”  conversations go something like that.)  So I rummaged around in the fridge and found spinach (which I always have) and pistachios.  I wasn’t feeling dairy so I made it without parmeggiano, but hubby grated some over his pasta.  The spinach was mild, and the pesto had a salty-sweet flavor from the pistachios.  It was a little heartier than regular basil pesto – perfect for my healthy hippie whole wheat pasta.  Amazingly for a dish that was whipped up on the spur of the moment from the random contents of the fridge, this is going to be in the regular rotation.  Don’t you just love it when that happens?

Spinach and Pistachio Pesto

3 cups raw spinach
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled (natch)
1/4 cup (approx.) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated parmeggiano (optional)

• Process spinach and pistachios in food processor until coarsely ground and mixed together.  Add extra-virgin olive oil, a little at a time or in a slow stream, until the pesto is smooth but runny.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• If desired, add parmeggiano and pulse very quickly to blend.  (If you’re using parmeggiano, go a little easier on the salt when seasoning.)
• Serve over pasta, crostini, soups, or whatever else you can think of!

Yield: Serves two as a pasta dish, more for appetizers.

Source: Covered In Flour