Arugula Pesto

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5-minute arugula pesto made with garlic, walnuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. This pesto is unbelievably delicious and packed with flavour. Use it on sandwiches, salads, pasta and more!

An overhead shot of arugula pesto in a blue and white patterned bowl with a spoon at the side.
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I love pesto of all kinds..we have recipes for basil pesto, pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, pesto alla trapanese (Sicilian) and now this incredibly delicious arugula pesto.

The best thing about this recipe is that it’s ready in just 5 minutes! Everything is blitzed together in a food processor and it’s done. So quick, easy and effortless.

You can use it as a spread on sandwiches, toss it through greens in a salad (really delicious), drizzle it on roasted veg or as a pasta sauce. We’ve been eating it a lot with gnocchi and of my goodness it is delicious.

My top tip – arugula (rocket) can have a strong peppery, almost bitter taste at times so if your pesto is a little too strong, add some fresh lemon juice and it cuts through the bitterness perfectly!

See the full recipe below plus our helpful step-by-step photos, tips and variations!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

An overhead shot of all the ingredients needed to make arugula pesto.

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  • Arugula (rocket) – if you find arugula too bitter in general then you can substitute half of it for fresh basil or parsley.
  • Walnuts – most nuts work well in this pesto. You can use pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts (like we have), cashews or almonds.
  • Parmigiano Reggiano – you could also use Pecorino Romano.
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Visual walk-through of the recipe

Making pesto couldn’t be simpler; put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. Adjust the consistency with more olive oil (photos 1 and 2).

Two photos in a collage showing how to make arugula pesto in a food processor.

Variations

  • Add herbs – Swap half of the arugula for fresh basil or parsley. It’s such a delicious and easy way to switch it up.
  • Add lemon – fresh lemon juice is a really good way to cut through the bitterness. Add it to taste once you’ve made the pesto.
A close up of a spoon picking up some arugula pesto from a blue and white bowl.

Some delicious way to use pesto

The recipes below use different kinds of pesto (all delicious) but you can use the arugula pesto in any one of these recipes too!

If you’ve tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest or sign up to our Newsletter to see more of our delicious food.

Step By Step Photos Above

Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!

Arugula Pesto

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By Emily

Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings (about 3/4 cup/220g)
5-minute arugula pesto made with garlic, walnuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. This pesto is unbelievably delicious and packed with flavour. Use it on sandwiches, salads, pasta and more!
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups (45g) arugula (rocket)
  • 1/2 cup (50g) walnuts
  • 1/3 cup (65ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 scant cup (50g) Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

Optional ingredient

  • Fresh lemon juice, add this to taste if the pesto is bitter

Instructions 

  • Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. Adjust the consistency with more olive oil if needed.
  • If your pesto is too bitter/peppery you can in some fresh lemon juice. Start with a small amount and add it to taste.
  • Use the pesto straight away or store it in the fridge (see notes below).

Notes

Store in the fridge – the pesto will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days. It will likley oxidise and turn darker but this is absolutely fine. Store it in a jar or sealed container and pour a thin layer of olive oil on top which helps keep it fresh. If you added lemon juice to it that will also help with the oxidisation.
Freezing instructions – pesto freezes really well for up to 3-4 months. I recommend freezing it in small portions (ice cube tray) which defrosts quickly too.

Ways to use it

  • Use the pesto as it is, emulsified with pasta water with pasta or gnocchi.
  • Spread it on sandwiches (can also be mixed with mayo or sour cream).
  • Served with roasted veggies or meat and fish.
  • Add it to salads.

Helpful Info for All Recipes

  • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
  • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
  • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
  • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
  • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
  • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
  • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 1185kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 128g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g | Monounsaturated Fat: 55g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2328IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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1 Comment

  1. Robert Elliott says:

    Love your recipes. I have made several