I love Arugula…and I'm the only one around here who does! I love it's peppery, spicy bite, even though sometimes it may burn a bit, it's a good burn. As my wee crop dwindles with summer approaching, I plucked tons of it, and decided to make Arugula Pesto. It is delicious, so I thought I'd share, in case you've never made it before, and are a fan of the potent leafy green. It's actually not so potent in the pesto. It just leaves a hint of peppery-ness, and I think it rivals regular old basil pesto.
Arugula Pesto
(adapted from Michael Chiarello's recipe on foodnetwork.com)
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4 Cups packed fresh arugula
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 C olive oil
3 Tbsp walnuts
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan (optional…sometimes I skip the cheese)
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt & pepper
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 C olive oil
3 Tbsp walnuts
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan (optional…sometimes I skip the cheese)
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt & pepper
Boil a large pot of water and briefly blanch the arugula (15 secs). Immeditely plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Put arugula, garlic, walnuts, in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Stream in olive oil and blend for 30 seconds. (The original recipe called for 1 Cup of olive oil…I thought it was waaaay too much. Just add it until it reaches a consistency you like) Add the lemon juice and cheese, and pulse to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Will keep for one week in the fridge.
So good. Today I mixed it in with some potatoes and green beans for a lunch of Arugula Pesto Potato Salad and Green beans. If you add it to mayo, you can mix it up with some chicken and have killer chicken salad, or just use it as a sandwich spread. I also had it mixed in with my scrambled eggs this morning. Deliciousness.
