Ingredients for 4

Recipe

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the conchiglioni until al dente.
Drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add the chopped spinach and sauté for 2-3 minutes until it wilts down.
Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
Once the spinach is slightly cooled, blend it with the pesto sauce until smooth and well-combined. You can add a splash of pasta water to adjust the consistency if needed. Toss the cooked conchiglioni in the pesto-spinach sauce, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated.
If the sauce seems too thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Plate the pasta, then sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with pine nuts (optional) for a nice crunch.

What You Need

What You Do

Rinse the basil eaves and pat them dry with a paper towel.
Toast the pine nuts lightly in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes to bring out their flavour (optional, but adds a nice depth).
In a food processor or blender, combine the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of salt.
Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth paste forms. You can adjust the amount of olive oil depending on how thick or thin you prefer your pesto.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, if desired.