Arugula, also known as ‘roquette’, is my all time favorite green. Its peppery bite and tender texture is something I can’t ever get enough of.
An obvious use for arugula is in salads. However last year when making massive batches of pesto at the end of August to freeze for winter, I began to experiment with arugula pesto with great success. Celebrating the first of the season from our Farmer’s Market, I decided to glorify it further by using pistachio nuts from my recent road trip to New Mexico in the place of pine nuts. The results were fabulous.
Traditional pesto is made with basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese. It is a very fast and fresh way to dress pasta, as a sauce for chicken or fish, or a sauce for vegetables. Once you begin to make it you’ll realize the possibilities are endless and it’s such an easy thing to whip up! I’ve provided my base pesto recipe but you can make it more peppery with more arugula or garlic. Season to your own preference!
TOASTED PISTACHIO ARUGULA PESTO
Ingredients:
· 4-5 cups arugula, washed, long stems removed
· 1 large garlic clove
· ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
· ¼ cup pistachio nuts, shelled
· Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Heat a small, dry skillet over medium heat until warm. Add the pistachio nuts, stirring frequently until beginning to toast (about 3-4 minutes). You will note them beginning to brown. Be careful to not allow them to burn.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, place 4 cups arugula, garlic clove, toasted pistachio nuts and olive oil. Process until liquefied, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you desire the pesto to be thinner, add more olive oil. Serve over freshly made pasta and some chopped pistachio nuts for garnish.
I used brown rice fusili pasta. As a gluten free diner, finding good gluten free pasta can be a challenge. Often the taste or structure do not compare to regular pasta with gluten. Tinkyada brand pastas in my opinion have great flavor as well as structure that is more like regular wheat flour pasta.
Gorgeous and healthy…looks like another winner (to balance out the ice cream afterward!).
I love arugula pesto but had never thought os uring pistachios in it as well. Great idea and looks delicious!
Yay for Tinkyada! It's the only pasta I use. Absolutely LOVE the arugula pesto! I was just thinking about your sorrel post the other day and thinking about that in pesto form- I definitely need to give alternative pesto greens a go. CanNOT wait for my farmer's market and CSA to get going!
Love this.
I love pesto and I can't wait to try yours!
I like that you add toasted pistachios. Yum!
I love arugula pesto and have tried various nuts. Looks like I'll have to add pistachios to the list.
OoOoh pistachios were a great idea!!
Arugula is my favorite green as well. I bet it tastes great with pistachios – looks delicious!
we really are sistahs from another mother! During this 'vegan' phase, I've been making a lot of pestos, and I've been dying to make one with pistachios and haven't gotten around to it. I LOVE PISTACHIOS. I'm totally going to make this. glad you like the goddess dressing recipe. its so yummy on arugula.
oh wow! Great minds think alike
You made pasta as well! Your pesto looks delicious, I must say that I made rukolla/rocket pesto before, I just use sunflower seeds. But since I read an article about Italian living in POland that sunflower seeds are great substitute to be used in pesto, I use them all the time. Pistachio on the other hand sound more than yummy!
btw, to anwser your question I'm going to Colchester to visit Mr Big Guy. Colchester is one of the oldest towns in UK (reaching back to roman times) so I'm quite excited.
oh Toni, i have been away from here for so long…hope you doing good. will get back to my back log here. i've been exxtending apologies to one and sundry!!
It looks really great, what an innovative way to use arugula!
We always get a bunch of arugula in with our CSA during the spring/summer and I never know what to do with it besides salads – now I've got something new to try! =)
such beautiful images of a truly delicious pasta dish! I have never made arugula pesto, but I do love pistachio's! thank you so much for teaching me a new pesto today!
Cheers
Dennis
What a great version of pesto….I wouldn't have thought to go with arugula. Lovely job.
I only make my pesto with a combination of toasted pistachios and pine nuts. The former lend such a nice nutty taste to the pesto–I know yours is great because of this. Must try with arugula next time, though. I bet the peppery quality of the arugula is great.
I made your pesto tonight and served it tossed with fettuccine. http://www.rvgoddess.com/POSTCARDS/2011/FLOSS/APRIL/041511.aspx
I have long been looking for the perfect arugula pesto recipe, and this looks like it could be it! My cheese hating husband will love that this is cheeseless. Thanks for sharing!