This Pesto Is The Best-O!
I can’t believe I waited so long to make this most delicious, outrageously simple, and fresh Arugula Pesto. I don’t want you to miss out as I did, so hurry to it! Arugula, if you’re not familiar with it (and, we can discuss why on earth you’ve allowed that to happen, at length, over a glass of Chardonnay sometime) is a bit bitter and very peppery. It’s great in a salad, but it’s distinctive flavor works so well in so many dishes. I love it on pizza and in pasta dishes. But now, in pesto, that’s my favorite by far!
Pesto is a quick and easy to prepare paste or sauce made with fresh herbs, usually basil, nuts, olive oil, Parmesan, etc. It’s made simply with a mortar and pestle or for lazy folks like me, easily, right in a food processor. You can enjoy it as a flavor additive in so many dishes. Or, try it just slathered on a piece of rustic bread. That’s how I’ve been making love to this Arugula Pesto over the past few days!
Arugula In The Garden
Because I love arugula so much, it’s a staple to my late winter, early spring garden. I only grow a few things each year, so I focus on what I really love best. Arugula is a must-have for me. So long as I can keep the equally arugula-loving garden beasts away from it, I can grow quite a bit in a relatively small amount of space.
You can even grow it in a pot on your patio or in a small herb garden. It likes cooler weather, so, in my zone, I plant it around February and it does well until the heat starts up sometime in late June.
Traditional Pesto
Making pesto the traditional way entails the use of a mortar and pestle. You grind down the herbs with the garlic and cheese. It is said to improve the taste and texture of the final product. I have to tell you, I don’t have that kind of patience. But, maybe one day I will give it a try. (No, I probably won’t. I make it in a food processor and think it comes out perfectly and in no time at all!)
My Recipe for Arugula Pesto
Rinse a few handfuls of fresh arugula. You should have about 2 cups of packed. Remove any of the larger stems and let them dry.
Into the bowl of a food processor add 2-3 cloves of garlic. If you really like garlic, and I say, there’s never too much garlic, use 3 cloves. If you’re less inclined to the strong garlic flavor, keep it to just 1 clove. Just be sure to remove the skin, split each clove down the middle and remove the green stem. Pulse to chop.
Next, add about 1/3 – 1/2 cup of shelled nuts. Walnuts are a good choice as the bitter flavor works nicely with the arugula. Not to mention, walnuts are very healthy and much less expensive than pine nuts, the usual choice for basil pesto. Pulse with the garlic until really broken down, about 20 seconds.
Add the arugula and pulse again a few times to break the leaves down. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Pulse to combine well. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
Pulse everything to combine, just about 3-4 times.
Pour contents into a 12-ounce jar with a tight sealing lid.
The secret to keeping the Arugula Pesto bright green is to keep it covered in oil. You can use a teaspoon, a tablespoon, or half the jar, just be sure any of the pesto exposed has a light topping of olive oil. This pesto will keep nicely for at least a few weeks in the refrigerator.
Try my basic Basil Pesto too. Here’s a link to the recipe: https://wp.me/p9KEfL-2xa
How To Preserve
This pesto freezes well too. If you make a lot of the pesto, just put it into serving-sized freezer bags and freeze flat. Then you can enjoy this spring to summer delight during the dull drums of winter too!
What To Do With All This Arugula Pesto?
This beautiful green sauce can be used in so many ways. For one thing, it makes a beautiful gift. Who wouldn’t want this delicious fresh sauce? I can’t imagine. It’s so good just slathered onto a rustic piece of bread. Have it with anything goat cheese too. Try it as a sauce in pasta. Just add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 pound of cooked and drained pasta for an easy weeknight dinner.
Use it on top of pizza dough instead of red sauce for a quick bread or base for your favorite pizza toppings.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup walnuts, shelled
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Rinse a few handfuls of fresh arugula. Remove any of the larger stems. and let it dry. You should have about 2 cups of packed arugula.
- Peel 2-3 cloves of garlic, then split them down the middle with a sharp paring knife. Remove the green stem. Then, add the garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 4-5 times.
- Add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of shelled walnuts
- Pulse with the garlic until really broken down, about 5-10 seconds.
- Add the arugula and pulse again a few times to break the leaves down.
- Add about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Pulse to combine well. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Pulse everything to combine, just about 3-4 times.
- Pour contents into a 12-ounce jar with a tight sealing lid.
Note: The secret to keeping the Arugula Pesto bright green is to keep it covered in oil. You can use a teaspoon, a tablespoon or half the jar, just be sure any of the pesto exposed has a light topping of olive oil. This pesto will keep nicely for at least a few weeks in the refrigerator.
How To Preserve
- This pesto freezes nicely. If you make a lot of the pesto, just put it into serving-sized freezer bags and freeze flat. Then you can enjoy this spring to summer delight in winter too!
