Arugula Pesto

This pesto arugula will add a bright, peppery flavor to pasta, pizza, sandwiches, soups, and more. It’s easy to make with a few simple ingredients, it freezes beautifully, and it’s ready in minutes!

Pesto is something I use year-round to add big flavor to everyday meals, and this arugula pesto is my go-to when fresh basil is harder to come by. I make it all through fall and winter, but it’s just as delicious in spring and summer when arugula is in season. It has that familiar bright green color and salty, savory bite of classic pesto, with a more earthy, peppery edge thanks to the arugula.

The ingredient list will feel familiar if you’ve made pesto before—arugula, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt—with pumpkin seeds standing in for the usual pine nuts. Everything goes into the food processor and gets pulsed until mostly smooth, then I taste and adjust the salt and lemon to get the balance just right. It’s quick, forgiving, and one of those recipes that immediately proves how good homemade pesto can be.

I almost always make a double batch and freeze the extra for busy nights. This arugula pesto is endlessly versatile and adds instant flavor to pasta, pizza, soups, sandwiches, and just about anything else that could use a little boost.

Store and freeze

How long does pesto keep in the refrigerator? If you’re not using the pesto right away, transfer it to a covered container and store it in your fridge for up to 5 days. A thin drizzle of olive oil on top of the pesto can help prevent it from oxidizing and turning brown.

Can you freeze arugula pesto? Yes, pesto freezes beautifully. Store it in an airtight container in your freezer and it will keep for up to 3 months. We like to divide it up into portions for easy weeknight dinners. Try freezing it in an ice cube tray for small individual portions that thaw quickly!

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Arugula Pesto Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 0 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

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This pesto arugula will add a bright, peppery flavor to pasta, pizza, sandwiches, soups, and more. It's easy to make with a few simple ingredients, it freezes beautifully, and it's ready in minutes!

1.25

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups arugula (packed – see notes)
• ▢ ¾ cup olive oil
• ▢ ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ▢ ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (see notes)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions 

• Add all of the ingredients to your food processor.
  3 cups arugula, ¾ cup olive oil, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt
  
• Blend on high speed until mostly smooth stopping a few times to scrape the edges.
  

Video

Notes

Arugula: I use baby arugula as it’s widely available year-round. If you use mature arugula, the peppery flavor will be much stronger.

Pumpkin seeds: Feel free to swap these for pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or cashews. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tablespoon, Calories: 99kcal (5%), Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 10g (15%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 2mg (1%), Sodium: 78mg (3%), Potassium: 38mg (1%), Fiber: 0.2g (1%), Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 91IU (2%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 36mg (4%), Iron: 0.4mg (2%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

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