I recently had a leftover of fresh spinach leaves in the fridge and at the same time was looking at a basil plant that had no plans to bloom any time this year. Within 20 minutes my ravioli with spinach pesto, burrata and honey tomatoes was born and that was the best thing I could have done…
I recently had a leftover of fresh spinach leaves in the fridge and at the same time was looking at a basil plant that had no plans to bloom any time this year. Within 20 minutes my ravioli with spinach pesto, burrata and honey tomatoes was born and that was the best thing I could have made at the time. It was also like that ;-).
Pesto is traditionally made from fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. But since the word pesto is derived from pestare, which means to mash, you can actually mash anything to make pesto. So spinach, for this ravioli with spinach pesto. But don’t forget the leaves of your carrots, bunch of radishes and even the leaves of celeriac. As long as the leaves are fresh and you wash them well first, you can make delicious pestos.
I eat my pestos with many dishes. In pasta dishes such as this ravioli with spinach pesto, but also with meat, fish and grilled vegetables. Or as a spread on bread and with my fried egg. And if you mix it with a little Greek yogurt or cream cheese you have a nice dip for raw vegetables.
But today we eat the spinach pesto as a sauce for the ravioli. And would you prefer tortellini, gnocchi or penne. That’s all fine too!
More pesto inspiration? Here you will find all my recipes with pesto.
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Toast the 50 gr pine nuts on low heat in a frying pan and shake regularly. When they turn golden brown and start to smell nice, transfer them to a container to cool down.
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Mix the 75 gr spinach, 20 gr basil, 30 gr Parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, 30 gr of the cooled pine nuts, 100 ml olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice in the food processor. Let the machine run until everything is finely ground and, while it is still running, pour in extra olive oil until you have a nice pesto substance. Then transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt, pepper and extra lemon juice.
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Meanwhile, cook the 500 gr fresh ravioli for 2 minutes in plenty of boiling water. Then drain and carefully scoop in as much pesto as you like.
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Divide the ravioli over 4 plates and garnish with torn burrata, the honey tomatoes, remaining pine nuts, a pinch of black pepper and some basil leaves.
- With this recipe you can make a main course for 4 people.
- Pesto left? Transfer to a container or jar and pour a thin layer of oil on top, so the pesto will keep for another week.
- You can also freeze pesto. Use an ice cube tray for this so that you can divide it nicely into portions.
- Preparation: 20 minutes
Recipe: Francesca, Photos: DeedyLicious