Homemade Arugula Walnut Pesto

This homemade arugula walnut pesto is easy to make. Use up leftover arugula or other greens to prevent waste. It makes a flavorful spread, dip, or pasta sauce.

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I have a confession. I will make pesto out of any green. It’s my favorite way to use up greens before they go bad. Last week, I had a huge container of arugula to eat. When I got down to the last few cups, I decided to transform it into a pesto.

To make the pesto, you’ll need a blender or food processor. Well, I guess you could use a mortar and pestle if you are a true purist or a glutton for punishment. I’ve never tried one so I have no idea how that would actually work. I toss everything into the blender pulse a few times or hit puree.

Making pesto is not an exact science. I like to play around with the acidity and the amount of oil. I’ll check it for flavor. Does it need more garlic, more salt, pepper? Is it too thick? Can it use more olive oil? Adjust it to your taste buds and texture preferences.

With just 1/2 cup olive oil, this one is on the thicker side. It would make a hearty and flavorful base for crostini with tomatoes or white beans, a flavorful spread for a sandwich, or even a dip for crunchy carrots or pepper strips. If you want to use this arugula pesto as a pasta sauce, you might want to make it a bit thinner.

Store it sealed in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it in an ice cube tray into cubes then freeze for an easy sauce later. You can melt the cubes to make a quick and easy pesto pasta sauce, whisk it into salad dressing, mix with butter for a pesto butter spread for bread, or drizzle it upon roasted vegetables, eggs, fish, or chicken. The options are endless.

So… I have a vegan pesto on chickpea pasta, a kale walnut pesto, a spinach basil pesto, and now this arugula pesto. I may be all pesto’ed out. I’m kidding. I know I’ll be making more pesto when it heats up again next year.

Grab the easy recipe below. ere’s the easy recipe. Be sure to PIN it for later and tag me on Instagram when you make it!

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5 from 6 votes

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Arugula Walnut Pesto

Prep Time

5 mins

 

This homemade arugula walnut pesto is easy to make. Use up leftover arugula or other greens to prevent waste. It makes a flavorful spread, dip, or pasta sauce.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: arugula, pesto

Servings: 10

Calories: 140 kcal

Author: Marisa Moore, RDN

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh arugula, tightly packed (I used baby arugula)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is pureed but be sure to leave some texture. Add additional olive oil if needed.

Recipe Notes

Yields 1 cup of pesto.

Nutrition Facts

Arugula Walnut Pesto

Amount Per Serving

Calories 140

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.