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Breakfast for One

Spinach & Basil Pesto

Spinach basil pesto with walnuts instead of pricey pine nuts — ready in minutes with just a food processor. Great on flatbread, toast, and more.
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Yield: 1 small jar (approx. 5 oz)
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

Spinach & Basil Pesto
  • 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
Breakfast Flatbread
  • 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.