Pesto is traditionally made with fresh basil and a bit of lemon to go along with the other ingredients. Let's break the tradition and do something different! Yes, I like to "shake it up" in the kitchen and use what's available at the moment. The final harvest of arugula went into this creation. Goodbye arugula....see you next year.
What's so great about making your own pesto? You can freeze it in small manageable containers and have Summer pesto on your pasta in the dead of Winter. You can use it as a spread on sandwiches or put together an easy potato salad with a touch of pesto.
This recipe makes approximately 2 cups. If you don't like arugula, substitute spinach, chard or basil. I happen to like the peppery notes arugula is known for.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh arugula
2 Tablespoons chopped lemon verbena (You can use a Tbsp of lemon juice, instead.)
1/2 cup Parmesan or Roman, grated
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 - 1/4 cup of olive oil
salt to taste
Method:
Place the first five ingredients into a food processor with a blade attachment. Pulse until well blended. It will have a thick consistency. Start to drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing until you reach the thickness that you want. Salt to taste. Add to your favorite pasta and enjoy! Of course you can always buy a jar at the store, but, I promise it will not be the same. Fresh is always best! You can make a batch in less than 10 minutes so try it.
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