Arugula Pesto

This vibrant Arugula Pesto is bright, peppery, creamy and packed with flavor. Made with toasted pistachios, parmesan and lemon juice, it's ready in just 10 minutes and delicious tossed with pasta, spooned over grilled chicken or fish, spread on sandwiches, or served as a dip.

Arugula Pesto with Pistachios and Lemon

Arugula Pesto may not be as famous or traditional as classic Genovese basil pesto, but it is wonderful in its own right, and this is my favorite way to make it.

In addition to arugula plus classic pesto ingredients — olive oil, parmesan cheese, and garlic — this arugula pesto recipe uses a couple of special ingredients: fresh lemon juice and toasted pistachios.

The brightness and tang of the lemons plus the sweet buttery flavors of the pistachios make this arugula pesto over-the-top delicious.

This vibrant arugula pesto is a fabulous sauce for pasta. But you can also use it as a sauce, to add a burst of flavor to broiled or grilled meat, chicken, fish or veggies. Or mix it with yogurt or mayo to make a quick flavorful dip for crudités.

Why You'll Love This Arugula Pesto

• Ready in just 10 minutes.
• Bright, fresh flavor with peppery arugula, toasted pistachios and lemon.
• Much less expensive and easier to make than basil pesto.
• Made with pre-washed baby arugula — no picking leaves or removing stems.
• Made with ingredients that are easy to find year-round.
• Delicious on pasta, sandwiches, chicken, fish and vegetables.
• Freezes beautifully for easy meals later.

How To Make Arugula Pesto

Here's what you'll need to make this easy arugula pesto:

• Arugula - I love using boxed or bagged organic baby arugula because It's triple washed and ready to go. This recipe calls for 7 ounces of arugula which is 1 ½ of those bags or boxes.
• Fresh Lemon Juice - Fresh squeezed is always best but if you want to save time and used bottled lemon juice, my favorite is Santa Cruz Organic Pure Lemon Juice.
• Garlic - Garlic is classic pesto ingredient. No need to finely mince the garlic here. A rough chop will do, as you will be pureeing it in the food processor.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - A good amount of olive oil is needed to give the pesto its creamy consistency. Try to avoid using an intensely flavored olive oil. You want to allow the flavor of the arugula to shine through.
• Toasted Pistachio Nuts - Toasting raw pistachios is easy, but it's even easier if you don't have to. I've used these shelled roasted pistachio nuts and they work really well. If you find roasted pistachios that are salted, simply cut back a bit on the salt in the recipe. 
• Grated Parmesan Cheese - Good quality parmesan is important when you're making pesto. Parmigiana Reggiano is my favorite. 

Here's a walkthrough of the recipe with photos. Find the full instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Start by pulsing the toasted pistachios, garlic and salt in the food processor, until they are finely chopped.
2. Next add the arugula and pulse into a smooth paste.
3. Then, with the motor of the food processor running, add the lemon juice and olive oil.
4. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese.

You made arugula pesto!

Ways to Use Arugula Pesto

• Tossed with hot pasta
• Spread on crostini
• Spooned over grilled salmon
• Dolloped onto grilled steak
• stirred into soups
• Spread on sandwiches
• Mixed with yogurt or mayonnaise to make a dip for crudités
• Stirred into scrambled eggs
• Drizzled over roasted veggies

Storage Tips

Store pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To keep it bright green, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the surface before covering.

For longer storage, freeze it in ice cube trays, then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag for easy portions whenever you need them.

Arugula pesto is such a great invention — a vibrant, delicious, no-cook sauce that you can make in just ten minutes!

If you try this arugula pesto recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

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Recipe

This post was first published on December 3, 2016. It has been reviewed and updated to make it more helpful and user friendly. The same delicious recipe!