This peppery Arugula Pesto recipe deviates from the classic pesto with the substitution of arugula for basil and almonds in place of pine nuts. The result is just as tasty, but a bright green color and peppery in taste. This recipe is also gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly. With one substitution, this recipe can also be made vegan.
I am always amazed that some people can be healthy enough to bring a salad to work for lunch each day. I can do it maybe once a week. After that, I feel like I am eating rabbit food.
My solution to enjoying my greens? I prefer pesto. That isn't to say I don't enjoy salad. I like a mouthful of all the flavors.
It's a lot of the components of salad, put into a beautiful green paste. The paste is deeply flavorful, plus it will fill you in a way that a salad just won't.
How to enjoy this is up to you: pasta, zoodles, with veggies, or on a cracker with some cheese. This recipe is peppery and bright in flavor. If you find basil pesto to be overwhelming, give this recipe a try.
Watch me make this (44 Seconds)
How to modify this
- If you are vegan, omit the cheese or use Nutritional Yeast or another vegan substitute
- If you are on a low carb or keto diet, enjoy this with cheese or zucchini noodles. A pesto sauce is usually high in fat, but they are the "good fats" to have.
- If you are gluten-free double-check all the ingredients to make sure they are gluten-free. Unfortunately with buying various products, there is always the possibility of cross-contamination. Check packages to be certain.
Tips on making this
- Be sure to use the pulse feature of your food processor to control the texture. You'll probably have to stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula to get this mixture as it contains quite a bit of green.
- If you are making pasta to serve with this, reserve some of the pasta water to create a creamier sauce.
- If you are having pasta with this, then consider a "rigate" variety. It means ridge, so it will hold on to a sauce better than a smooth shaped pasta.
- I prefer blanched almonds that do not have the skin attached to them.
- Mix this in right before serving. This sauce is best enjoyed freshly mixed in.
- If you have leftover pesto, store it separately. This will keep the greens fresher tasting.
- This will last in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Directions
Step 1: Get all of your ingredients measured. Zest and juice the lemon.
Step 2: Add the arugula, parsley, almonds, garlic cloves to the food processor. Pulse to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and keep adding greens until you get them all in. You may need to work in batches.
Step 3: Season pesto. If it tastes flat, consider adding more vinegar or lemon juice if you have. If not, figure out a way to enjoy this.
Step 4: Enjoy with zucchini noodles, pasta, on a cracker or with parmesan cheese. I opted for pasta, but feel free to pair this with what you like. A protein would compliment this meal or enjoy it without one as it is very filling.
I hope you enjoy this Arugula Pesto!
If you try this, would you mind hitting the "Rate" button? I'd love to know what you thought of it. If you modified the original recipe here, please let me know how it turned out. I love comments!
If you've tried this Arugula Pesto or any other recipe on the blog, I'd love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to see what I'm up to.
Adapted from Sur La Table Cooking Class:
Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup almonds I prefer blanched and toasted.
- 7 ounces arugula I used one 7 ounce bag of baby arugula.
- 1 bunch parsley washed, stems removed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon zested & juiced
- salt & pepper to taste
Kitchen Equipment Needed to Make This
Instructions
- In a food processor add garlic, almonds, half of the arugula, and parsley and pulse. Since these items are bulky, scrape down the sides.
- Add remaining arugula, olive oil, parmesan cheese, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pulse until it comes a mostly smooth paste.
- Taste. Season with salt and pepper. If this tastes flat and salt and pepper aren't fixing it, then add more vinegar or lemon juice until you enjoy the brightness of this pesto.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to use the pulse feature of your food processor to control the texture. You'll probably have to stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula to get this mixed as it contains quite a bit of greens.
- If you are making pasta to serve with this, reserve some of the pasta water to create a creamier sauce.
- If you are having pasta with this, then consider a "rigate" variety. It means ridge, so it will hold on to a sauce better than a smooth shaped pasta.
- Mix this in right before serving. This sauce is best enjoyed freshly mixed in.
- If you have left over pesto, store separately. This will keep the greens fresher tasting.
- Will last about 3 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
nekkieslife says
Yummy 😋
becomebetty says
Thanks so much!
eliset says
looks amazing!
becomebetty says
Thanks so much!
Ttrockwood says
I love arugala pesto! I’ve made it with walnuts before and nutritional yeast which was fantastic. And arugala pesto is definitely a flavor punch-i really like the cashew kale pesto TJs has now but it’s more mild.
I actually love to add a blob of pesto to soups that need a little something like a basic lentil veggie.
becomebetty says
Hey Ttrockwood! I thought of you when publishing this. Nutritional Yeast is an easy swap for parmesan. I've tried it with walnut too. Trader Joe's is solid, but it is quite smooth. I like a bit of texture. Great way to use pesto by having it with some lentil veggie. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Dagmar says
This looks absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try and make it. Thanks for sharing it. Bye the bye have you seen the avocado tzatziki dip in the refrigerated section? It is really good!
pauldaviescartoons says
Like the new whizzy website, I was shown how to make a fresh pesto similar to this but used walnuts. I bash them in a bag with a rolling pin, then add to olive oil, fresh basil, pecorino cheese and perhaps a few pine nuts. Might try this one soon.
becomebetty says
Hey! Nothing wrong with using a rolling pin either. Just a fun spin on a classic pesto. Hope you try and enjoy! Thanks again for stopping by!
LisaP says
Loved it! I threw in a handful of basil left over from a caprese salad and served it over penne rigate
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing Lisa! Glad it turned out well.
Mirandamom says
Perfect pesto is a personal thing, and I would encourage others to taste as they go. You may find you prefer a slightly different balance of flavors. For me, that meant less oil and vinegar and more cheese.
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing!