I’ve tried this recipe quite a few times and find this to be one of the simplest and easiest appetizers to put together both as a dip and a spread with some water crackers.
From the original site: I customized this recipe for pesto by playing with the key ingredients. I use fresh basil and spinach leaves in a 1:1 ratio and this sort of avoids the intensity that you would get by just adding basil or replacing it entirely with spinach. Another twist is instead of pine nuts I use walnuts and blanched almonds in equal amounts- again, because I like these over pine nuts.
To make a dip and a spread using this pesto recipe I added in goat cheese. Unlike cheeses made form cow’s milk, Goat cheese has a natural tart that blends in and adds a more creamy and acidic flavor to the pesto. The good part about Goat cheese is that it complements the pesto rather than neutralizing it completely.