This 5-minute arugula pesto with walnuts, lemon, garlic, and parmesan is fresh, vibrant, garlicky, and peppery. Perfect for spreading over sandwiches, using in pasta, over proteins, and more!
Pulse the garlic and salt in a mini food processor or blender until fairly smooth. Add the walnuts and pulse until ground.
Add the remaining ingredients (arugula, oil, lemon juice, and parmesan) and pulse to combine until finely chopped but with some texture. There's no need to make it too smooth, but you can pulse it to your desired consistency (chunky, smooth-ish, smooth). Pause to scrape down the sides to ensure everything is blended evenly.
Taste and adjust any ingredients to taste, and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Store: Store in an airtight container (I use a sterilized glass jar) in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Covering it with a thin layer of oil will help prevent oxidization and keep it fresher. Note the olive oil will solidify when chilled but will still be scoopable.Freeze: You can freeze it for between 4-6 months (the former for the freshest flavor) either in a Ziplock bag or individually portioned in an Ice-cube tray (then transferred to a bag once frozen). Thaw at room temperature or pop a cube directly into sauces/paste on the stove to thaw when needed.
Notes
Allow it to "marinate": If you find any individual flavors in the pesto a little too intense immediately, you might prefer to leave it to marinate for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld.
Easily adjust the consistency: Pulse the pesto to your desired consistency. To thin it, you can add a little water.
To reduce oil: You can replace it with water, but note this can reduce the shelf life to just 2-3 days.
Experiment with greens: The bitter, peppery flavor of fresh arugula can be a bit much for people, so feel free to use other greens like spinach, parsley, or basil. Start with a 50/50 blend and then tweak it in future batches.
Recipe Variations:
Mixed greens pesto: Because of the robust, peppery flavor of fresh arugula, you may prefer to make pesto with mixed herbs:
Arugula basil pesto
Spinach arugula pesto
Arugula parsley pesto
Red pepper flakes: Add a pinch for some subtle heat.
Olives: Adding just a few pitted olives adds a more tangy, salty flavor.
Check the blog post for serving suggestions and answers to top FAQs!