Arugula Walnut Pesto
Arugula adds a peppery, fresh taste that still gives you all the herby essence of a pesto, just with a slightly different flavor. As I’ve made this time and time again over the past year, I’ve found that this has become a frequent go to because I almost always have arugula in my fridge. It’s a staple for salads and lasts a lot longer than basil. As much as I try to plan and be smart about my herb shopping, the number of times I’ve bought basil, forgotten to use in time and then sadly stare at its wilted leaves and realize I should have made pesto -2 days ago is far too many. Arugula lasts much longer, so if I want to make this on a whim or end up making this pesto a few days later than originally planned, it’s no problem at all.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (60g) toasted walnuts
- 2 cups (2 oz) fresh argula
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 cup (.8 oz) freshly grated parmesan, **This amount will vary if you aren't freshly grating- freshly grated parmesan has a lot more volume and isn't very dense. If doing storebought parmesan, start with a 1/4 cup and then taste from there.
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, (start here and add more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, (about 1/3 lemon)
- 3-3.5 ounces extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Place walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and light brown, about 6-7 minutes.
- Place arugula in food processor. Process until finely chopped.
- Add in all remaining ingredients except olive oil. Process until finely chopped and use a spatula to get any excess on the sides down from the walls of the processor to make sure it's included.
- If you are able to, add the olive oil to the food processor while running. If not, just add in olive oil and process. Taste and adjust seasonings as you'd like. You can also add more olive oil if you prefer a looser texture.
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