Walnut Pesto
Makes: 1 Cup
This special dish is an excerpt from my friend and podcast guest, Dina Deleasa-Gonsar’s debut cookbook At the Kitchen Sink. Dina has a gift for making everyday cooking feel purposeful and joyful no matter what you’re eating!
This recipe uses walnuts instead of the pine nuts more traditionally called for. It also uses spinach, rather than just basil, in the mix, which gives it a little boost in the greens department! This pesto is great to have in your fridge for pasta dishes or as dip for a gorgeous veggie platter. I also find myself adding it to sandwiches or putting a dollop on top of homemade pizza!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup packed fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Makes: 1 Cup
This special dish is an excerpt from my friend and podcast guest, Dina Deleasa-Gonsar’s debut cookbook At the Kitchen Sink. Dina has a gift for making everyday cooking feel purposeful and joyful no matter what you’re eating!
This recipe uses walnuts instead of the pine nuts more traditionally called for. It also uses spinach, rather than just basil, in the mix, which gives it a little boost in the greens department! This pesto is great to have in your fridge for pasta dishes or as dip for a gorgeous veggie platter. I also find myself adding it to sandwiches or putting a dollop on top of homemade pizza!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup packed fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
METHOD
In a food processor fitted with the S blade, pulse the basil, spinach, walnuts, cheese, garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to chop the ingredients.
With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream and mix to a uniformly fine texture. The pesto can be used immediately or refrigerated for at least a week.
Excerpted from At the Kitchen Sink by Dina Deleasa-Gonsar. Copyright © 2025 by Dina Deleasa-Gonsar. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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