Arugula Pesto Recipe
A fresh combination of nutty arugula, sharp parmesan, creamy pine nuts, and garlic -- this pesto is a flavorful addition to pasta and salads, as well as a delicious spread for warm toasty bread.
This arugula pesto is a tad bitter when compared to traditional basil pesto, but if you're a fan of arugula, you're probably familiar with the earthy bitterness. You could substitute other greens like spinach or baby kale for the arugula.
Makes a little over 1/2 of a cup of pesto.
You will need:
4 cups of arugula (about 3 oz.)
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
A scant 1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of sugar
Ground black pepper to taste
Put all the arugula that will fit into your blender without overfilling and pulse that down. Next add everything else; the rest of the greens, the parmesan, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar (to balance the bitterness). Blend so that all the ingredients are broken down, but not puréed.
That's it! Super easy, right?
The ratio of the ingredients can be altered to your tastes of course, but this is a nice base to start with. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions Pictured:
I know, I know, toast and pasta are predictable applications for pesto, but it's a classic approach with arugula as the new featured ingredient.
Pesto toast -- top toasted bread with arugula pesto. Simple. Delicious.
Pesto pasta -- coat the pasta (I used penne here) with arugula pesto. Add some fresh tomatoes* seared in a little olive oil, and top with shaved parmesan.
*Here in New Jersey, Wegman's grocery has little vine-ripened tomatoes aptly named 'Flavor Bombs'. They're the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and they're very tender -- no thick skins. Any sweet tomatoes will do though!
I've also made this pesto pasta with a cream sauce, but it's equally as good without cream.
Let us know what you think of this recipe, and feel free to share the creative ways you like to use it! Stay safe.
Much love,
The Grey's Posy Team