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.
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 NotesWalnuts: 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.
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.