Arugula Pesto
The bright flavor of arugula shines through in this leafy green take on pesto. Enjoy this arugula pesto on pasta, as a sandwich or quesadilla spread, or as a dipping sauce for a variety of dishes.
Servings 8
Calories 198kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups (3 oz, 85g) arugula very well packed
- ½ cup (60g) walnut halves or pieces toasted
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice from half a lemon
- 3 medium-sized cloves garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup (40g) grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Place walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan or baking dish and toast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they've turned golden and are just becoming fragrant. Transfer the toasted walnuts immediately to a plate to cool if not making the pesto right away.
- Add arugula, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the arugula is broken up into tiny bits.
- With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture liquefies. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the Parmesan and pulse in until evenly combined.
Notes
Ingredient Notes
Walnuts: Toasting the walnuts can be done up to several days in advance of preparing this pesto.
Parmesan: If able, grating your own Parmesan is recommended for the freshest flavor. If not, pre-grated tubs from the refrigerated deli section of the grocery store are a good second option. Shelf-stable canisters with green lids are not recommended here.
Garlic: Use three medium-sized cloves here and not monster cloves, as that would likely be too overpowering. And use less if you're not a big garlic fan.
Lemon juice: Freshly-squeezed is recommended for the brightest flavor.
Recipe Tips
- Don't stray too far from the oven while the walnuts are toasting as they can go from nicely-toasted to burnt in a hurry.
- You don't have to press or finely mince the garlic (but you can) since everything goes through the food processor, but do give the cloves a good chop just to reduce the risk of any large chunks sneaking through into the final pesto.
- Yield: One batch of this recipe makes enough to coat one pound of pasta.
- Storage Instructions: Store arugula pesto in an air-tight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You may a drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on the top surface to prevent it from browning as it's stored, but I've found it's not really that necessary when using arugula.
- Freezer Instructions: Transfer pesto to a quart-sized zip-top plastic bag (my preferred method) or a freezer-safe container. Press the excess air out of the bag, then lay the bag flat and arrange the pesto into an even single layer. Freeze it flat for maximum space-saving. Use within six months.
Nutrition
Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.5g | Protein: 4.2g | Fat: 20.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 0.4g | Calcium: 84mg
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
