Peppery Arugula Pesto (Ready In 5 Minutes!)
If you’ve got a bunch of arugula hanging out in your fridge, do yourself a favor and make homemade arugula pesto. It’s peppery, vibrant, and just a little unexpected — a fun twist on the classic that goes with way more than just pasta. Spoon it onto grilled chicken or salmon, swirl it into soup, spread it on sandwiches, or drizzle over roasted veggies. It’s bold, versatile, and comes together in five minutes flat.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 203kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed arugula
- ½ cup basil leaves
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest + half a lemon juiced, about 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ - ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pulse the ingredients. Place 2 cups packed arugula, ½ cup basil leaves, ½ cup Parmesan, ¼ cup pine nuts, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp lemon zest, 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Pulse until very finely chopped.
- Drizzle in the olive oil. With machine on, slowly drizzle in ½ cup of olive oil until smooth and emulsified. If pesto is too chunky, add remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in refrigerator until needed.
Notes
- Store leftover pesto in a fridge for up to 1 week. Use an airtight jar that's topped with a thin layer of oil to lock in the color.
- Freeze: Spoon pesto into ice cube trays, freeze solid, then pop cubes into a zip-top bag. Use with 3 months-- no need to thaw; they melt right into sauces.
- Reheating: Pesto is best served room temperature. If you must warm it, do so gently over low heat to avoid breaking the emulsion or dulling the herbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @wellseasonedstudio and hashtag it #wellseasonedstudio!
