Arugula Pesto
Description: Arugula basil is a simple and delicious twist on classic basil pesto! This recipe is easy to make, affordable and full of fresh flavor. Recipe yields just over 1 cup pesto, which is enough to toss with 8 to 12 ounces of pasta, depending on how saucy you like it. Double the recipe to use an entire container of arugula (you can freeze the leftovers).
Ingredients
- ½ cup walnut or pecan halves, almonds or pepitas
- 2 ½ ounces fresh arugula (about 3 cups, loosely packed—thick stems removed if not using baby arugula)
- ½ cup (1 ¼ ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, to taste
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about three to five minutes. Transfer them to the bowl of a food processor and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Add the arugula, Parmesan, garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and salt. Process the mixture while drizzling in the olive oil, until it is mostly smooth.
- Transfer the pesto to a bowl. Taste and add more lemon juice, for zing (up to 1 tablespoon), or salt, for overall flavor. Use as desired. Leftover pesto keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. Or, freeze it for up to 6 months. (I like to freeze pesto in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a freezer-safe bag.)