A Note on This Recipe
This pesto skips the pricey pine nuts for walnuts and cuts the basil with spinach. Same fresh, garlicky flavor, without the specialty-ingredient price tag.
Ready in under 10 minutes with just a food processor and minimal prep, this recipe makes a small batch that covers several days of breakfasts. Spread it on flatbread, toast, or eggs any way you make them. It’s just as good stirred into pasta, tossed with salad, or spread on a sandwich.
About the Ingredients
Walnuts stand in for pine nuts — a more affordable swap that still gives the pesto richness and body. Pre-roasted bagged walnuts work great if you want to skip a step; raw is fine too.
Garlic: fresh cloves work best, but pre-minced or jarred garlic is a fine swap if that’s easier for you.
Parmesan: shredded rather than grated — it blends in a little softer, which I like for texture.
How to Make It
Prepare the Ingredients
Briefly rinse and pat dry the basil leaves. Peel the garlic cloves, if using whole. Prepare the baby spinach leaves — a pre-washed bag works fine.
Make the Pesto
Place all ingredients in a food processor, starting with the leaves on the bottom and ending with the olive oil.
Pulse on a chop setting until evenly chopped, then on a grind setting until coarsely ground but not pureed, with no large chunks remaining.
With a batch this small, you don’t need to drizzle the oil in slowly — adding it all at once still gives a beautifully integrated texture. Your food processor’s power matters more than the technique.
How to Store
This recipe makes about half a cup — comfortably fits a small jar. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week, or freezes well in small portions for whenever you need a fast flavor boost.
How to Enjoy: Breakfast Pesto Flatbread
Spread the pesto generously over a flatbread. Arrange cherry tomatoes and crack the egg into the center. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 12–15 minutes. Dollop extra pesto on top before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves no stems
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves packed
- 5 walnut halves preferably roasted
- 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp pre-minced/crushed garlic)
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt or a little more
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 plain naan or any flatbread
- ¼ cup pesto
- 1-2 eggs
- Cherry plum tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the basil leaves. Peel the garlic cloves, if using whole. Prepare the baby spinach leaves — a pre-washed bag works fine.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor, starting with the leaves on the bottom and ending with the olive oil.
- Pulse on a chop setting until evenly chopped, then on a grind setting until coarsely ground but not pureed, with no large chunks remaining.
- To make the breakfast flatbread: spread the pesto generously over a flatbread. Arrange cherry tomatoes and crack an egg into the center. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 12–15 minutes. Dollop extra pesto on top before serving.
Watch the Recipe
Notes
- No need to drizzle the oil in slowly — adding it all at once still gives a well-integrated texture for a small batch.
- Pre-roasted bagged walnuts work great if you want to skip a step; raw is fine too.
- Fresh garlic works best, but pre-minced or jarred garlic is a fine swap.
- Shredded parmesan (rather than grated) blends in a little softer for texture.
- Keeps in the fridge for up to a week, or freezes well in small portions.
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