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Pesto Sauces Fresh · $10/8 oz retail · $5 wholesale
Arugula & Walnut Pesto
A punchier everyday pesto built on peppery arugula and toasted walnuts instead of pricey pine nuts. Great on sandwiches, roasted vegetables, grain bowls and pizza — the value SKU of the pesto line.
Channel Farmers Market Yield 4–6 jars (8 oz) Tier Peppery · Budget-friendly
Ingredients
- 5 cups (packed) arugula
- 3 cups (packed) fresh basil
- 1.5 cups walnuts, toasted
- 1.5 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp sea salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp black pepper
Method
- Toast walnuts in a dry skillet 4–5 min until fragrant; cool and rub off the loose skins.
- Pulse garlic, walnuts and salt to a coarse paste.
- Add arugula and basil in batches; pulse to combine.
- Stream in the olive oil with the motor running.
- Pulse in the cheese, lemon and pepper; taste and adjust.
- Jar under a film of oil; refrigerate.
Why it works
Cutting the arugula with some basil keeps its bite in check — all-arugula reads sharp. Walnuts are a third the price of pine nuts and their tannin plays well against the peppery greens.
Notes
- Walnuts oxidize faster than pine nuts; best within 4–5 days or frozen.
- Fresh only — refrigerate; never water-bath can.
- Freeze cheese-out for up to 3 months; stir in fresh cheese after thawing.