Caprese Style Cashew Spinach Pesto Pasta

Hi Bakers,

I love pasta salad, pesto, and Caprese salad…so I put them together. I didn’t have pine nuts or enough fresh basil but I made pesto anyway. Using half spinach and half basil made a delicious but milder flavored sauce. Cashews instead of pine nuts are a cheaper and more readily available substitute that I honestly think I like better! I know it’s not authentic but it’s gluten-free and yummy!

Caprese Style Cashew Spinach Pesto Pasta

Pesto Sauce

adapted from  Love and Lemon’s Pesto recipe 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup roasted salted cashews

2 tablespoons lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup fresh basil

1 cup fresh spinach

4 cups cooked gluten-free corkscrew pasta

1/2-3/4 cup sliced fresh cherry tomatoes

1/2-3/4 cup diced fresh mozzarella 

Blend pesto ingredients together until smooth. Add more olive oil or a bit more lemon juice if the pesto won’t blend. Toss the warm pasta with pesto and a tablespoon of pasta water to coat well. Add 1/2 cup each of chopped tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, and parmesan cheese and top with a basil leaf. I also added some reduced balsamic vinegar for a bit of sweet-tart flavor and to look pretty.