Creamy Spinach Pesto Pasta

A stand-alone spinach pesto where the spinach is the star.

Creamy Spinach Pesto Pasta

Serves 4 - 5

My first spinach pesto pasta was from a recipe of Byron Talbotts. It was delicious and pretty much traditional for what you’d expect of a basil pesto but with spinach. When I set out to make my own version of spinach pesto pasta, I initially had the same idea and modified my perilla pesto pasta (recipe here) to include spinach while still maintaining the strong flavor of the perilla. It was delicious but what if I allowed the spinach to stand on its own?

This recipe is a stand-alone spinach pesto where the spinach is the star with flavors added to amplify the spinach itself. The result is gently herbaceous with earthy depth coming from doenjang and a creaminess not from the dairy fat of cream but soondubu or in English soon tofu. The texture from the fried zucchini and panko makes for a fun addition and adds a wonderful textural difference.

“Recipe Tips:

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Ingredients

Spinach Pesto

250g (a little more than ½ pound) mature spinach, cleaned

7 garlic cloves, ends trimmed

2 – 3 cheongyang chilis, ends trimmed

4 T nutritional yeast

2 T yondu or soy sauce

4 t doenjang

2 t maesil

1.25 t dried oregano

0.75 t ground Sichuan pepper - optional

0.50 t dried thyme

0.25 t kosher salt

0.25 t ground black pepper

1/8 t ground nutmeg

100ml (0.50 c) olive oil

350g package soondubu or silken tofu

Zucchini Crumb

250g (a little more than ½ lb) zucchini, julienne

1.5 T rice flour

1 t ground coriander

0.50 t kosher salt

0.50 t gochugaru

1 egg, beaten

60g (1 c) panko

Finishing

500g (a little more than 1 lb) penne pasta

Recipe Know-how

1.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

• Heavily salt the water and stir briefly to dissolve.

• Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute.

After 1 minute test the spinach, it should be tender and cooked through. If not, cook a few seconds longer.

• Using tongs, remove the cooked spinach to a bowl and run under cold water until cool.

Do not drain the water so it can be used again for cooking the pasta.

You can also use an ice bath to cool down the spinach quickly but, for this it isn’t necessary in my opinion.

• Squeeze out the spinach and reserve.

2.      In the bowl of a food processor or a blender add all of the pesto ingredients except the tofu.

• Blend until mostly smooth.

• Scrape down the bowl and add the tofu.

• Blend until smooth. Scrape down and reserve.

Do not remove as the pesto is not completely finished.

3.      Fill a small pot with vegetable oil and heat to 190 C / 375 F.

• Line a plate with paper towel and set aside.

• Toss the zucchini with the rice flour and spices.

• Working in batches, toss the zucchini in the egg then the bread crumbs.

• Sprinkle into the hot oil.

Some of the panko may fall off but it is ok, simply sprinkle a little extra into the oil.

You want both fried panko and fried zucchini for the topping.

• Fry for 1 – 2 minutes or until golden brown.

• Remove to the paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt.

• Repeat with remaining zucchini and breadcrumb until finished.

4.      Return the large pot to a boil.

• Add the pasta once boiling.

• After 3 minutes, remove 100ml (0.50 c) pasta water and add to the pesto, blending until smooth.

• Continue cooking the pasta until 2 minutes less than the package directions.

• Reserve 300ml (1.5 c) of the pasta water.

• Drain the pasta completely and return to the pot.

• Add the pesto and another 100ml (0.50 c) pasta water stirring vigorously.

• Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

• Cook until the pasta is al dente and the sauce coats the noodles well, adding more pasta water as necessary.

5.      Serve by dividing among plates and top with the zucchini crumb.