Arugula Pesto
Servings: 1 cup
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) almonds substitute walnuts
- 2 tablespoons (20 grams) pine nuts substitute more almonds
- 4 tablespoons (20 grams) nutritional yeast substitute grated parmesan cheese
- 1 small clove (1 small) garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt use 1 pinch salt if you make pesto with parmesan cheese
- 2 packed cups (50 grams) arugula
- ¼ cup (60 grams) extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 grams) cold water
- To a small food processor or blender, add ⅓ cup almonds, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast or grated parmesan, 1 small clove garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Blend for about 1 minute or until you get a finely coarse texture.
- Rinse 2 packed cups arugula and shake the excess water off.Add arugula leaves, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, and ¼ cup cold water to the same blender.Pulse a few times until the arugula is fully incorporated with the other ingredients.
- You might have to scrape down the sides of the food processor once or twice.Taste and adjust for salt. If you prefer a thinner pesto, add more oil or water.
MAKE IT A MEAL
- You’ll love this arugula pesto with pasta cooked al dente.To serve pesto with pasta, add it to a large bowl and stir it with a couple of tablespoons of cooking pasta water until it’s saucy.Add the pasta to the bowl and toss until creamy. You can add more pasta cooking water if the pesto is too thick and an extra sprinkle of grated parmesan or vegan cheese.
Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 serving of arugula pesto out of 6 servings (1 cup).
STORAGE & MAKE AHEAD
Make ahead: Arugula pesto is an excellent recipe to make ahead because it keeps well both in the fridge and freezer.
Refrigerator: Store arugula pesto in a mason jar or another airtight container. Cover it with a thin layer of olive oil, close the container, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Transfer the pesto into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also transfer it into ice cube trays and freeze it in smaller portions.
Thaw: Defrosting arugula pesto depends on how you want to use it. To use it with pasta, you must add the frozen pesto to a bowl and melt it with 1/2 cup of hot pasta cooking water.
To use it as a spread, on pizza, or to drizzle on veggies, thaw it in the refrigerator over several hours or overnight.
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