Easy Arugula Pesto. When my friend and I were at the farmers market last Saturday, we picked up some baby arugula. It looked SO good! The small bag I bought ended up being quite a lot, and I used some of it on hamburgers (good, local cheese, some and arugula on a grilled burger = AMAZING!), I had quite a bit left
We had planned to make a salad out of it but forgot. I didn’t want it to go to waste and wondered if I could make an Easy Arugula Pesto out of it. Guess what? Yes, you can! I did! And I envision all the ways I will use it. I think a pizza crust spread with the arugula pesto and topped with the lemon boy tomatoes I pulled out of the garden today would be my first choice!
Here is the Easy Arugula Pesto recipe I came up with after searching for it online. Most pestos call for pine nuts. We don’t have them in this house at the moment. So, I decided to go with walnuts for the spicy, almost peppery arugula. OH boy!
How To Make The Arugula Pesto
Put two large handfuls of arugula, cooled walnuts, and garlic in a food processor.
Pulse until well chopped. Add the cheese and lemon zest/juice and pulse again.
Make a paste by slowly adding the EVOO.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Store the Easy Arugula Pesto in a jar in the fridge. If need be, add a thin layer of olive oil to keep it fresh longer.
Easy Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
- ½ cup walnuts
- 2 large handfuls arugula
- 2 large cloves garlic cut in half
- ½ cup parmesan cheese coarsely shredded
- 1 medium lemon juice
- 1 medium lemon zest
- ¾ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts in the oven at 350°F for 8 minutes or on the stove over medium heat. You just want them very lightly toasted and fragrant. Let them cool.
- Pulse the arugula leaves, cooled walnuts, and garlic cloves until finely chopped in a food processor. Add the shredded cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice and pulse again a few times.
- Turn the processor on and add the EVOO in a steady stream. Continue until you make a smooth paste. Scraping the sides is necessary.
- Season with salt and pepper and store in the fridge. Should keep a few weeks. If you decide to freeze it, don’t add the cheese. Add it after you thaw it.