Bright, fresh and flavor-packed this lemony arugula pesto is made with toasted walnuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil. It’s perfect for tossing with fresh pasta, or slathering over grilled bread, vegetables, meat, and fish. Trust me, you’re going to want to add this 10-minute, no cook sauce to your recipe repertoire ASAP!
News flash: Pesto doesn’t always need to be made with basil and pine nuts! In fact, you can try out endless combinations of fresh herbs, nuts, and seeds. One of my favorite riffs on traditional pesto is this arugula and walnut recipe. Even though arugula is technically lettuce it’s super flavorful like an herb and adds a punch of bright, peppery, flavor to the pesto. Try arugula and walnut pesto tossed with freshly cooked pasta, drizzled over roast chicken or fish or even stirred into mayo for an incredible sandwich spread!
Looking for the perfect pairing? Toss Arugula and Walnut Pesto with fresh pasta and serve it alongside Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad!
Recipe Step by Step
Step 1. Pulse Ingredients
Pulse all of the ingredients (except lemon juice) together in food processor or blender.
Step 2. Taste and Season
Taste the pesto, season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse 2-3 more times just to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Voila! This quick and easy pesto is ready in less than ten minutes!
Six Ways to Use Arugula and Walnut Pesto:
- Most obvious: toss with freshly cooked pasta!
- On pizza! Check out BLT Pizza with Basil Pesto Ranch.
- Stirred into sour cream, yogurt or mayo for a tasty dip for crudités.
- Spread on sandwiches or avocado toast.
- Serve alongside grilled meat, roast chicken or fish.
- As a salad dressing for leafy greens or even pasta salad.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Yes! Spoon the prepared pesto into an ice cube tray. Place the ice cube tray into the freezer for 3-4 hours or until frozen solid. Remove the frozen pesto cubes from the tray and place them in a ziplock freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you make pesto too far in advance it can oxidize and turn brown. That said, you can make pesto up to three days ahead. To store it pour the pesto into a glass jar, top with ¼″ oil to prevent browning. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the surface, and chill.
Check out more great recipes
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Lemony Arugula and Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 cups arugula packed
- ½ cup coarsly chopped walnuts toasted
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice and zest from one lemon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a food processor pulse the arugula, walnuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
- Turn off the machine and add the lemon juice, then pulse until incorporated. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
This recipe yields between 1-1.5 cups of pesto.
- Can I freeze pesto?
Yes! Spoon the prepared pesto into an ice cube tray. Place the ice cube tray into the freezer for 3-4 hours or until frozen solid. Remove the frozen pesto cubes from the tray and place them in a ziplock freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. - Can I make pesto in advance?
If you make pesto too far in advance it can oxidize and turn brown. That said, you can make pesto up to three days ahead. To store it pour the pesto into a glass jar, top with ¼″ oil to prevent browning. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the surface, and chill.
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