Arugula Pesto

Happy Earth Day! I can't think of a better way to celebrate than eating some delicious arugula pesto. Arugula pesto is a fun take on traditional basil pesto. A great alternative when basil is not in season and a perfect substitution for any dish where you'd normally use pesto. Arugula is easily one of my favorite greens. It creates a wonderfully bright green pesto with a peppery finish, making it a great addition to many spring dishes. I've used basically the same recipe as my basil pesto, just tweaked it a bit. A couple of batches of this will hopefully tide me over until my basil plant is in full bloom in a couple months.

I always feel somewhat silly writing down a recipe for pesto, as I find it's more of a guide than a set in stone master recipe. Pesto is completely dependent on the quality of your ingredients. Buy the freshest basil or arugula, use a good quality olive oil, and most importantly, real Parmigiano Reggiano. It's way more expensive than most of the stuff found in supermarkets, but it will reward you plenty! 

ARUGULA PESTO

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, peeled

¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated

¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

2½ cups fresh arugula

½ cup olive oil

¾ to 1 tsp. sea salt

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. pepper 

Add the garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts to a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Add the arugula, olive oil, salt and pepper, and purée until you’ve reached a smooth and creamy consistency. Taste to adjust seasonings and refrigerate until ready to use. 

For long-term storage, transfer pesto to ice cube trays. Freeze overnight and transfer to zip-top bags (this allows for smaller serving sizes, so you're not stuck with a solid block of pesto, helping it to defrost more quickly). 

Yield: about 10 oz. or 1¼ cups

Notes:

• If you’re doubling or tripling this recipe, do it in batches, or as much as your blender or food processor will allow.
• I like my pesto on the saltier side, so feel free to reduce the amount of salt, also taking into consideration how salty your parmesan is.
• In a pinch, you can always substitute walnuts for pine nuts.