Nuts are our ingredient of the season. We’ve been using them for sweets, drinks, and snack bars. Today we’re finally using them for a savory condiment!
Sarah here: Comin’ at ya with a republished post today – I’m making this tonight and I’m papapumped about it. Pasta and pesto all day please. Carry on.
I didn’t even know I was looking for it, but I found my new favorite condiment in this arugula walnut pesto! I think I overdid the traditional basil and pine nut pesto, because the past few times I’ve had it, I just wasn’t excited by the flavor, but the peppery-ness of the arugula and parmesan combined with the savory walnuts and olive oil and the zing of fresh garlic allows this pesto to brighten any dish, creating the perfect cure for grey days when you’re faced with another late spring snow!
I have to admit, I didn’t go to the grocery store with arugula on my list and the intention of making this pesto, but when a super-sized container of arugula landed in our fridge, I was looking for a way to use it up!
This batch of pesto turned out so delicious, that I sneak spoonfulls when I’m starving for a snack between meals (the perks of breastfeeding!). With each bite I would rave about it to Calder, but then he burst my bubble this morning when he said “don’t expect the next batch to be that good”. The nerve! But he’s right, if the walnuts are on the bitter side, or if you use lower quality or different parmesan and olive oil, than the flavor of the pesto may change. Ugg.
I’ve heard his warnings, and yet, I’ve decided that arugula walnut pesto is my jam for the immediate future.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of packed arugula leaves
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Toast the almonds in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown and you begin to smell their nutty scent.
- Place all ingredients except the olive oil and parmesan in the food processor. Pulse a couple of times, then begin drizzling the olive oil into the processor while pulsing.
- Remove the mixture from the food processor and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Try not to eat this straight from the spoon (or is that just my bad habit?).