Arugula Walnut Pesto
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Rating
4.5 out of 5 stars
(13)
Ingredients
6-8 servings
- 4 cups packed fresh arugula (thick stems removed if not using baby arugula)
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ to 1 full lemon, squeezed
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Preparation
Step 1
Over medium high heat, lightly brown the unpeeled garlic cloves, about ten minutes. Peel off the skins once they have cooled down.
Step 2
Over medium high heat, toast the walnuts until fragrant, about three to five minutes.
Step 3
In a food processor, combine the arugula, salt, walnuts and all the garlic.
Step 4
Pulse while drizzling in the olive oil.
Step 5
Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, freshly ground pepper and a big squeeze of lemon, to taste.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Adapted from Simply Recipes.
Change it up:
Substitute basil for the arugula, or pecans or almonds for the walnuts.
Note on freezing pesto:
Some instructions on freezing pesto suggest that you leave out the parmesan altogether, and add fresh parmesan to your pasta when you’re ready to eat it. I haven’t had any problems with my frozen pesto, which includes the parmesan, but I thought I’d throw the suggestion out there.
