Hazelnut Spinach Pesto Cavatappi is a delightful pasta dish that combines the earthy flavors of hazelnuts with the freshness of spinach in a vibrant pesto sauce. This dish is easy to prepare and offers a unique twist on traditional pesto pasta.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
This recipe is inspired by a trip to wine country in California.
We have always loved going to Rustic, the restaurant at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Healdsburg, CA.
This pasta dish was relatively new when we went earlier this year and it was such an amazing twist on basil pesto! I had never seen this combination before and it was absolutely delicious.
I am a huge lover of basil pesto and knew I wanted to recreate this combination at home. I guess you could say this is a copycat recipe!
The flavor profile is light and fresh like you would get with a pesto, but a little earthier from the spinach and a slightly stronger nut flavor. It is packed full of healthy nutrition and vegetarian!
Ingredients
These are the ingredients that you will need for the recipe. Full quantities and recipe details can be found in the full recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Fresh Spinach – I like to use fresh but frozen is also an option
Fresh Parsley
Hazelnuts
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice – fresh is best!
Parmesan Cheese – freshly grated is best! Or a similar cheese such as pecorino or romano.
Garlic
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt
Ice
Water
If desired, you can cook vegetables or meat as preferred to add to the mix. I recommend zucchini, corn, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, chicken, or sausage. Just sauté over medium heat with some olive oil and mix into the pasta with the pesto at the end.
Instruction Overview
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the nuts and toast until fragrant, stirring frequently, approximately 2-3 minutes. Reserve some of the nuts for a garnish later.
Heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil.
Add the spinach to the water and blanch until just wilted, about 30 seconds.
Remove the spinach with a slotted spoon and place in ice water to stop the cooking process. Set aside. Keep the water on the stove, and bring back to a boil.
Cook the pasta in the spinach water per package directions to al dente.
Add the pesto ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, or to your consistency. If you want it thinner, add more oil or some water.
Add the pesto to the drained pasta and toss to coat. Use the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
Finish with the reserved toasted and chopped nuts, a squeeze of lemon, and/or freshly grated Parmesan cheese as desired.
Store any leftover pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be used as a spread, sauce, or dip for various dishes. It also freezes well!
Modifications and Substitutions
Cavatappi is the name of this pasta shape. You could use other pasta shapes as desired. The more edges the pasta has, the more sauce is needed to coat everything. So pasta with less edges (such as fettuccini or penne) will be saucier than pasta with more edges (such as angel hair or rotini).
In place of Parmesan, Pecorino or Romano are also great options! I recommend freshly grated over anything pre-grated as they are coated with anti-caking agents.
In place of hazelnuts, walnuts would be great. Pine nuts (classic to basil pesto) are also an option but more expensive.
If the pesto is too thick, you can add a bit more olive oil or the pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
Kim’s Tips
Squeezing fresh lemon over a finished pesto pasta is AMAZING and elevates it to the next level!
If desired, you can cook vegetables or meat as preferred to add to the mix. I recommend zucchini, corn, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, chicken, or sausage. Just sauté over medium heat with some olive oil and mix into the pasta with the pesto at the end.
FAQs
Is cavatappi the same as elbow macaroni?
What’s the difference between Cavatelli and cavatappi?
What makes pesto taste better?
Should pesto be thick or runny?
More Pasta Sauces
Hazelnut Spinach Pesto Cavatappi
Equipment
- Skillet
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 6 cups fresh spinach lightly packed, 4.5 ounces in weight, see note 1
- ¼ cup hazelnuts (1.5 ounces weight) or walnuts
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta or desired shape, see note 2
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice fresh is best, approximately 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- When hot, add the nuts. Stir frequently and toast until the nuts are fragrant, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from the skillet to stop the cooking process and set aside.¼ cup hazelnuts
- Heat a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt the water.
- Make an ice water bath by filling a large bowl with at least two cups of ice and 4 cups of water.
- Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook until just blanched, approximately 30 seconds.6 cups fresh spinach
- Remove the spinach from the water with a slotted spoon and place in the ice bath. Once cool, drain and set aside.
- Cook pasta in the boiling water as per package directions to al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain (do not rinse).1 pound cavatappi pasta
- In a blender or food processor, make the pesto by combining the blanched spinach, most of the hazelnuts (reserve some for garnishing), lemon, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil.¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ cup olive oil
- Blend until you reach your desired consistency. Add more oil or some water if needed.
- In a large bowl or the empty pasta pot, combine the cooked pasta and pesto sauce. Toss to combine. Use the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately and garnish as desired with the reserved chopped nuts, lemon wedges, and fresh cheese.
Notes
- You can use frozen spinach as well. If frozen, first thaw and drain and use 1.25 cups of the spinach.
- Certain pasta shapes need more sauce to coat them because of having greater surface area. If using a different shape, add the pesto a little at a time to get the right ratio. High-edge shapes such as angel hair will likely need more sauce, or cut back on the pasta quantity.
- To ensure a truly vegetarian pasta, make sure you are using vegetarian cheese.
