Have a big bag of arugula you need to use up ASAP? Make this easy twist on classic pesto, which subs arugula for traditional basil to make a bright, peppery addition to pizza, pasta, chicken, fish, or steak.
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“Great pesto and it freezes really well. Love it with pasta, grape tomatoes, and baby arugula with fresh mozzarella cheese all tossed together!!” ~AnnMarie, FoodieCrush reader
Goodbye Basil, Hello Arugula!
I’m a basil fiend. In turn, my leafy herbed passion goes hand in hand with pesto. I mean, is it even summer without it?
But when I discovered a fresh crop of arugula at the farmers market, my basil obsession took a detour. And I happily followed.
This fresh, peppery switcharoo to the sweeter basil variety makes a damn fine addition to countless dishes. Pasta? Naturally. Pizza? Load it on. Chicken? Lather it in the middle of a chicken breast with some melty cheese and a slice or two of prosciutto and bam! Dinner is served.
Enjoy!
How to Make Pesto with Arugula
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Pesto is hardly a daunting task. Simply load the following basic ingredients into a food processor or blender and pretty much blend away:
- Fresh arugula — I like to rinse my arugula under cold water and then give it a spin in my salad spinner to make sure it’s squeaky clean but contains no excess moisture.
- Grated Parmesan — Freshly grated Parm makes all the difference here, so buy a block and grate it yourself using a box grater.
- Pine nuts — I always toast mine for extra flavor.
- Garlic clove — Don’t add more garlic than the recipe calls for, otherwise your arugula pesto sauce will taste waaay too garlicky.
- Lemon juice — Just a squeeze brightens the sauce and balances out the peppery arugula.
- Salt and pepper — Always!
Maybe don’t blend your pesto into oblivion, but do blend it at least until everything comes together. You could add all of the ingredients at once, but I hold the olive oil to drizzle into the processor on its on so it creams and emulsifies to a thicker texture.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Depending on the spiciness of your arugula, your pesto sauce may have a more pungent, peppery bite than mine. Like all fresh ingredients, you’re dependent on the ingredient itself, so adjustments each time you make this recipe are essential.
The olive oil may rise to the top of your pesto. It will depend on the water content in your arugula and the quality of your olive oil. Don’t worry. This is natural, and a great sign of a good pesto, because a dry pesto has no flavor or coating affect. Simply stir and go.
Since this fast and easy recipe calls for just 7 ingredients, try to buy the best quality items. Fresh garlic is a must, as is freshly grated Parm (or, at the very least, not the kind in a green shaker can!).
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats
Arugula Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh arugula
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic , peeled
- ½ lemon , juiced
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pulse to combine. In the bowl of a food processor, add the arugula, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, lemon and kosher salt and pulse for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the mixture is mostly fine.
- Drizzle in the olive oil. Turn the processor onto blend and slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture and process until blended. Taste and add more salt to your preference. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend once more.
- Store airtight. Transfer to a glass container (mine fit an 8 ounce glass container). Serve with pasta, chicken, or on flatbread or as a dipping sauce.
Notes
Swaps and Substitutions
- Replace the pine nuts with walnuts
- Use basil, spinach, or kale instead of arugula
- Swap the Parm with Pecorino Romano
More Homemade Pesto Recipes to Make
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Kait
Good pesto recipe! If you want it less Arugula zingy/spicy sauté the arugula before blending.
Hayley
Thanks Kait, and we appreciate the tip, we’ll have to give that a try sometime!
AnnMarie LeFler
Great pesto and it freezes really well. love it with pasta, grape tomatoes, and baby arugula with fresh mozzarella cheese all tossed together!!
Hayley
Thanks, AnnMarie—we’re so happy you enjoyed this!
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Lynn Briand
So bright and refreshing! You nailed it!
Leo Sigh
Will definitely have to try this. Particularly as pesto is sooooo expensive here in Thailand as it’s always imported. Thanks :)
Rose
I am currently in the midst of freezing my super pesto concentrate. I simply process basil ( or other tasty greens ) with garlic, salt and EVOO and freeze the pesto in ice cube trays. I then take out a cube or two of the concentrate as I need it, thaw it out and use plain or mix with nuts and/or dairy. This gives me nut free or dairy free options. I also enjoy pesto made from Italian flat leaf parsley and shallot. Yum.
Thank you Rose for sharing your freezer tips! I do the same thing. So you don’t freeze it with the nuts or cheese?
Brother Bear
All this beats the basil dip someone gifted me over spring. I love my basil dip with nachos is just the thing I do. The punch is perfect for my lightly salted treats. Thanks for this.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
I love that I got a little sneak peek of this on SnapChat!! I heart arugula!!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I can’t wait for that flatbread recipe! I’ve been locking for any excuse to use my new food processor, so I have to try your pesto!
Becky
I’m glad you’re having a busy summer.. too busy to send me photos ;) Living life is way better than being on the computer!! And I happen to have a huge bag of arugula from my CSA begging for this recipe.
Aimee @ Simple Bites
Yes! This! All the pesto please, on everything. <3
Liren
I love pestos that think outside of the box – arugula pesto is definitely delicious!
Erin@WellPlated
Arugula and I are in the midst of a hot and heavy love affair! I tried a version of arugula pesto with almonds, but now I’m thinking pine nuts are must for my next iteration. Great tutorial!
Nichole
Heck.YES! I’ve been on a Pesto kick all summer, but typically make it with spinach and basil. Peppery arugula must take it to a whole new flavor level!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
Glad we can be arugula pesto twins today, Heidi! Yum! Yours is gorgeous. And that flatbread looks awesome too. Can’t wait to see it!