Seven Layer Italian Pesto Quinoa Dip is a quick, easy and elegant appetizer for holiday entertaining or just everyday munching. Made with flavorful, nourishing items convenient to keep on hand in the pantry and fridge, this simple-to-assemble party dip can be ready to serve in under 10 minutes – and stores beautifully overnight if you want to make ahead.
Inspired by easy party dips my mom used to make in the 80s as well as elegant molded and stacked tartare dishes, this layered dish features strata upon strata of marinated and bold flavors and various textures that play well together when scooped up with a chip, dolloped on a cracker or just eaten by the spoon! I like to use up any leftovers sprinkled on a green salad!
Many of the ingredients (such as the hummus, marinated artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes) can be conveniently purchased pre-prepared in the deli or gourmet aisle of your favorite market. To make things speedy, you can also pick up a pouch of pre-cooked quinoa on the grain aisle – or defrost a bag of frozen cooked quinoa that has been meal prepped (that is my economical way – see quinoa freezer and meal prep post here).
The flavor cornerstone of this Italian layered dip is pesto – but not just any ole pesto! I used Sea Artichoke Pesto from Foraged & Found. I must admit, when I was sent some jars to try out, I did have to Google “What is Sea Asparagus.” What I found out is that Sea Asparagus (Salicornia) is a sea succulent that has a salty, ocean taste when eaten raw and brined, mellower flavor when cooked — used as an ingredient it really maximizes the umami taste in so many dishes from pasta and pizza to seafood and grilled meats.
What I love about the Foraged & Found company is that they have found a way to share healthful Alaskan foods from the wild that have been sustainably harvested and transformed into some of my favorite kitchen staples – like this Sea Asparagus Pesto. The sea asparagus pesto tastes very similar to a traditional pesto (but better) made with additional ingredients such as almonds, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and lemon. So clever and eco-conscious!
Turning this pesto layered dip is a snap! Most of the pesto is soaked into the quinoa, and a generous dollop is saved for the top.
You’ll need a 16-ounce container to use as a mold – it can be cylinder-shaped (like a yogurt or sour cream container) or even a bowl – just make sure that the bottom (which will be the “top” when inverted) is narrower than the opening. I simply used the square plastic container that was provided at the olive bar when I loaded up on marinated tomatoes and artichokes for the recipe!
When layering this creative Italian dip, remember that each level loaded in goes in reverse of how it will look when presented. When inverting on a plate and releasing from a mold, the first ingredients put in at the bottom of the container become the items on top.
Order for Layers (press down lightly, as needed, after each layer):
Note: Start with 1 Tbsp. of reserved oil from the marinated artichokes or tomatoes (this helps release from the mold)
- Pecans, chopped
- Blue Cheese, crumbled
- Garlic Hummus
- Sun-dried Tomatoes, chopped
- Marinated Artichokes, chopped
- Fresh Spinach, shredded
- Quinoa Mixed with Pesto
Chill a bit if needed to firm up and then, invert by placing a plate on top and flipping over quickly.
The cool thing about this Italian quinoa recipe is that if you have a “fail” when trying to release the mold, and it falls all over the place, you can just throw it all into a bowl and stir up! It tastes just the same, and still looks pretty because it’s so colorful – in fact, I’ve made it this way on purpose before! Also, you can just skip the inverting and stand-alone presentation – just layer it up how you want in a dish. The only downside here is that all the pretty ingredients can’t be seen at once.
Learn more about Foraged & Found and get more sea asparagus recipes:
Note: This post is sponsored by Foraged & Found as part of a bloggers recipe contest. #foragednfoundak #eatwild #wildalaskanprovisions
r a light dinner.
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 2 oz. blue cheese crumbled
- 4 oz. garlic hummus
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
- 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (mostly drained*) chopped
- 4 oz. artichokes packed in oil mostly drained, chopped
- 4 oz. Sea Asparagus Pesto from Found & Foraged reserve 2 Tbsp. for garnish
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- * Reserve 1 tbsp oil from marinated tomatoes or artichokes to use as a “lube” for the mold.
-
Use a 16-ounce square or round “mold” that is slightly tapered, meaning the bottom is narrower than the top – this will allow layered dip to slide out easily when inverted. A sour cream or yogurt container works nicely.
-
In medium bowl, mix together cooked quinoa with most of the 4 ounces of pesto (save about 2 tablespoons for garnish).
-
Add the approximate 1 Tbsp. of reserved oil from the marinated artichokes or tomatoes to bottom of mold container and swirl around. This helps release layers later).
-
Add layers in this order: Chopped Pecans, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Hummus, Chopped Sun-dried Tomatoes, Chopped Marinated Artichokes, Shredded Spinach, Pesto Quinoa Mixture.
-
If needed, stick in fridge for 10 minutes to firm up (sometimes the hummus gets too soft at room temperature).
-
Remove from fridge and carefully run knife around edges of container to help release layers when inverted (but taking care not to “smear” it all together).
-
Place plate on top of mold opening and quickly invert, gently pulling off mold container. ***
-
Dollop with remaining pesto.
-
*** If you have a failure when trying to release the mold, the nice thing about this recipe is that it can be served in a bowl stirred together as a jumble! It tastes just the same, and still looks pretty because it’s so colorful!
