Arugula pesto took me by surprise!

If they were paying attention, my family will tell you that they have seen me eat “pesto” only a handful of times.

I enjoy the heck out of basil, but I can pass up “pesto.”  Strange, right?

But . . . arugula pesto is a whole different story!

Possibly it’s because the recipe uses walnuts instead of pine nuts.

I’m making a note to give basil pesto another shot — with walnuts.

The idea to give arugula pesto a try came about while we were enjoying a very fulfilling evening at our favorite establishment in the area — Stappo Enogusto Club.

We enjoy Stappo so much, this is where we chose to celebrate Jeff’s retirement from the navy.

Stappo’s proprietors, Pasquale and Consiglia,  wined and dined us (and 30 of our friends) until the wee morning hours.

It was perfect!

Pasquale reminds me of the movie “Chocolat.”

You recall how Vianne was able to pick the perfect chocolate for each of her customers?

Well, Pasquale always seems to pick out the perfect wine for me!

And let me rave about Consiglia!

That woman can cook!

Every time Jeff and I go to Stappo (that reminds me — we are due for a visit!), we are treated to a new appetizer.

Consiglia has an amazing knack for putting ingredients together in such creative ways.

Her appetizer creations make me very happy!

It was at Stappo where I first enjoyed “Crema di rucola.”  (Well, at least that’s what Pasquale told me it was called!)

I’m not sure exactly how Consiglia made it, but the flavor was fresh, vibrant, creamy arugula.

I fell in love with this appetizer!  Dipped bread, sipped wine. . .

So after several months, I finally set aside the time to explore arugula recipes and give the task the attention it deserves!

The flavor of this arugula pesto is similar to what Consiglia created, although the consistency lends itself more to “spreading” rather than dipping.

I hope you like it as much as I do!

Enjoy! – The Recipe Wench

Arugula Pesto

Print recipe

• Print with main photo
• Print text only

Slightly adapted from recipe on

Epicurious

Pesto made with fresh arugula and walnuts makes an easy appetizer. Spread on crostini, put a little on grilled chicken or steak, toss with pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups (packed) fresh arugula
• 1/2 Cup walnuts (chopped)
• 1/2 Cup grated parmesan
• 1-2 Cloves garlic
• 1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 Cup olive oil (If needed, you could add another 1/4 cup olive oil)

Note

This recipe makes 8-10 ounces of pesto.  I found the recipe for Arugula Pesto on the Epicurious website. It originally comes from a cookbook called: This Is A Cookbook: Recipes For Real Life. I've found that the saltiness of the parmesan will directly affect the amount of kosher salt going into the pesto.  I recommend adding/tasting a little at a time.

This pesto is really good spread on a toasted baguette, drizzled over grilled chicken (or steak!) or mixed into pasta.

Enjoy! - The Recipe Wench

Directions

Step 1

Are you ready? Add all ingredients into a food processor Process until you've reached your desired consistency Check seasonings -- add salt, if desired