Arugula pesto is one of my favorite recipe components. It deserves the spotlight! If you enjoy arugula and basil pesto, you’ll love arugula pesto. It’s just as lovely as the regular kind.
As much as I appreciate traditional pesto made with basil, arugula pesto has a few advantages. For one, it offers an interesting twist on a familiar flavor profile. It’s also less expensive—buying fresh basil can add up at the grocery store. Year-round, it’s generally easier to find good arugula than basil. Lastly, arugula pesto doesn’t turn brown on the top like basil pesto can (no blanching required).
How to Make Arugula Pesto
To make arugula pesto, you’ll need some basic ingredients, starting with fresh arugula. I’ve enjoyed this pesto made with a variety of nuts—take your choice of walnuts, pecans, almonds or pepitas. For best flavor, toast them before using (see step one).
You’ll also need Parmesan (freshly grated, please), garlic, lemon juice, salt and extra-virgin olive oil.
The mixture comes together easily in the food processor. You’ll combine everything but the olive oil, then drizzle in the oil while blending. Try not to over-process the mixture so the oil doesn’t become bitter.
Arugula Pesto Serving Suggestions
Like classic basil pesto, this arugula pesto is fantastic on pasta (including pasta salad), pizza, grilled or roasted vegetables, sandwiches, stirred into chickpeas (add crumbled feta), and more.
Here are recipes on Cookie and Kate that already feature arugula pesto or could:
How to Toss Pesto with Pasta
Place a liquid measuring cup in the sink before you drain your pasta. Then, pour about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into the measuring cup before draining off the rest.
Off the heat, toss the pasta, pesto and small splashes of pasta cooking water together until you’re satisfied with the consistency (I used roughly ⅓ cup reserved pasta cooking water for ½ pound of linguine).
More Pestos & Herbed Sauces
If you enjoy this arugula pesto, check out these irresistible herbed sauces. They can make a meal!
Please let me know how your pesto turns out in the comments. I love hearing from you and am eager to hear how you use this sauce.
Arugula Pesto
Arugula basil is a simple and delicious twist on classic basil pesto! This recipe is easy to make, affordable and full of fresh flavor. Recipe yields just over 1 cup pesto, which is enough to toss with 8 to 12 ounces of pasta, depending on how saucy you like it. Double the recipe to use an entire container of arugula (you can freeze the leftovers).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about three to five minutes. Transfer them to the bowl of a food processor and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Add the arugula, Parmesan, garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and salt. Process the mixture while drizzling in the olive oil, until it is mostly smooth.
- Transfer the pesto to a bowl. Taste and add more lemon juice, for zing (up to 1 tablespoon), or salt, for overall flavor. Use as desired. Leftover pesto keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. Or, freeze it for up to 6 months. (I like to freeze pesto in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a freezer-safe bag.)
Notes
How to toss pesto with pasta: Place a liquid measuring cup in the sink before you drain your pasta. Then, pour about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into the measuring cup before you drain off the rest of the water. That pasta cooking water is pure gold—it contains starches that create a creamy emulsion and help attach the sauce to the pasta. Off the heat, toss pasta, pesto and small splashes of pasta cooking water together until you’re satisfied with the consistency (I used roughly ⅓ cup reserved pasta cooking water for ½ pound of spaghetti).
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the Parmesan. You might like to finish your dish with a sprinkle of my vegan Parmesan.
Make it nut free: Substitute pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) for the nuts. They will toast more quickly—they’re done when they’re turning golden on the edges and making little popping sounds. Or, try hemp hearts instead.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
