Baby Spinach Pesto ((egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free)

You've got to hand it to Spinach.

The over-cooked dark green offender of my youth, has been completely re-born under the cutesy brand 'Baby Spinach'.

A marketing masterstroke. Respec'.

Baby Spinach Pesto

135g sunflower seeds*

2 good handfuls of Baby Spinach

100-110ml olive oil

1 clove of garlic

4 big tomatoes

0.5tsp sugar

0.5tsp Dijon mustard (gluten-free)

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and black pepper to taste

*I have used sunflower seeds for fear that some readers may have a Pine Nut allergy, if you don't, then use 60g pine nuts and 75g sunflower seeds if you want to.

• Put olive oil into the liquidiser or blender


• Add sunflower seeds


• Add spinach, garlic, mustard and vinegar


• Halve the tomatoes. Squeeze each half into the mixture, the aim is to get as much juice in as you can. If seeds and pulp fall in to, no worries. Discard the remains of the tomatoes


• Press play on your liquidiser. I have to pick mine up and shake it as it blends so that everything gets chewed up.


• If the mixture is too thick add some more oil and perhaps a splash of vinegar. (I had to add extra olive oil once I'd coated the pasta.)


• Season


• Enjoy!

PS: My son adores jars of Pesto pasta. He balked at my Rocket Pesto, but he gobbled this up!

© Pig in the Kitchen 2007