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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Published: Jan 12, 2016 · Modified: Feb 9, 2016 by Bridget · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    Fresh Arugula Pesto

    Arugula pesto took me by surprise!

    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. Eye opener! | The Recipe Wench

    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!

    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. Eye opener! | The Recipe Wench

    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

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    Arugula Pesto
    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
    • ½ Cup walnuts (chopped)
    • ½ Cup grated parmesan
    • 1-2 Cloves garlic
    • ¼ Teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¾ Cup olive oil (If needed, you could add another ¼ 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

    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. Eye opener! | The Recipe Wench

     

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Caroline M says

      February 19, 2016 at 10:02 pm

      Arugula is fantastic! I am going to try and grow some this summer. It is also wonderful on pizza.
      Reply
      • Bridget says

        February 20, 2016 at 5:56 pm

        Yes, it IS awesome on pizza! One of my favorite pizzas is prosciutto crudo, arugula and parmigiano flakes. And the idea of you growing your own arugula makes me happy. I will be travelling a lot from late March until July so I'll have to put my gardening plans on hold. Good luck to you, though!
        Reply
    2. familyfriendsfoodblog says

      January 27, 2016 at 12:49 pm

      That sounds wonderful, and it looks delicious on those crostini. You're lucky to have such a great restaurant nearby!
      Reply
      • Bridget says

        January 27, 2016 at 1:22 pm

        Thank you! Yes, we are very lucky -- lots of great restaurants. But the wine tasting and nibbling at Stappo can't be beat!
        Reply
    3. Shelby says

      January 27, 2016 at 12:31 pm

      I would so be eating this up! I love pesto and I bet the peppery arugula is awesome in this!
      Reply
      • Bridget says

        January 29, 2016 at 7:29 am

        It really is! Thanks, Shelby!
        Reply
    4. TreatYourselfSweeter (@TreatUSweeter) says

      January 27, 2016 at 12:18 pm

      Ohhh yum! Never had this with arugula, but I need to! I love to mix it up- basil pesto is great, but a change is fabulous!
      Reply
      • Bridget says

        January 27, 2016 at 1:20 pm

        Yes, you should try it! Let me know what you think!
        Reply
    5. choclette says

      January 27, 2016 at 10:12 am

      I love pretty much any type of pesto. I've even made a successful one with sage and walnuts. Your photos are gorgeous.
      Reply
      • Bridget says

        January 27, 2016 at 11:47 am

        Oooh, sage and walnuts sounds really good! Thanks for the compliment on the photography -- I struggle still!
        Reply
    6. Sylvie says

      January 27, 2016 at 9:40 am

      Love the idea of peppery arugula in pesto!
      Reply
      • Bridget says

        January 27, 2016 at 11:46 am

        It's delicious -- and the walnuts instead of pine nuts were nice!
        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Bridget! So glad you're here! I'm a former legal secretary, now wife, mother, grandmother and full-time blogger. My husband Jeff and I live in Colorado with our doggies. My favorite things are family, doggies, gardening and cooking!.

    More about me →

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