Arugula Pesto Sauce!

Arugula Pesto is a vibrant healthy sauce for pasta, chicken, or fish ~ you can also use it as a dip for your favorite bread for a fabulously easy appetizer.

pesto is one of the world’s great foods

In fact basil pesto is so great that it’s easy to forget about all the other interesting variations of the sauce, like this vibrant version made with spring arugula! Pestos of all sorts have an honored place here in the Great Island kitchen. Pesto sauce adds a healthy burst of flavor to whatever it touches so I’m always looking for new ways to reinvent it…

• artichoke and lemons
• sun dried tomatoes and almonds
• chives and parsley
• and a spicy twist on the traditional recipe

arugula pesto is a nice change from pesto Genovese

This pesto won’t replace the traditional version, but it’s a nice change of pace. It has a grassy scent and is a little less pungent than classic basil pesto. I used baby arugula, which has a more subtle peppery zing than the mature greens. It just tastes like spring to me.

what you’ll need

• arugula
• garlic
• pine nuts
• aged cheese
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

how to make arugula pesto into a dipping sauce

1. Take a couple of tablespoons of the arugula pesto and whisk it with more olive oil until it has a good loose dipping consistency.
2. Add a dash of sherry vinegar and pour into a shallow bowl or plate.
3. Provide a loaf of crusty bread, torn or sliced, for dipping.

When you’re not using it as a dipping sauce, spread it on fish before baking or broiling, or toss it with cold pasta and veggies to make a springtime pasta salad.

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5 from 1 vote

Arugula Pesto

Arugula Pesto is a vibrant healthy sauce for pasta, chicken, or fish ~ you can also use it as a dip for your favorite bread for a fabulously easy appetizer.

Course Sauce

Cuisine American/Italian

Yield 1 cup

Author Sue Moran

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 5 ounces baby arugula
• 1 clove garlic smashed
• 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
• juice of 1 lemon
• sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Put all the ingredients except the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Stuff the arugula down, if necessary.
• Pulse the machine until the arugula breaks down, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice, and then drizzle in the oil until you have a smooth sauce. Taste the pesto and adjust the seasonings if you need to.
• Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is provided as a courtesy and although theviewfromgreatisland.com tries to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.