• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Display Search Bar
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS

5 Minutes for Mom

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Snack
      • Lunch
      • Appetizer
      • Dinner
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Apple
      • Beef
      • Blueberry
      • Chicken
      • Chocolate
      • Cranberry
      • Peach
      • Pumpkin
      • Squash
      • Strawberry
      • Tomato
      • Vegetables
      • Zucchini
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Baking
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • No Bake
      • One Dish
      • Slow Cooker
    • Type
      • Breads and Rolls
      • Cakes and Muffins
      • Condiments
      • Cookies and Bars
      • Drinks
      • Food for Kids
      • Gluten-Free
      • Main Dish
      • Pies and Crisps
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Wraps
      • Side Dishes
      • Smoothies
      • Soup
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Crafts
    • DIY
    • Kids Crafts
    • Printables
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing
  • Family Life
    • Giveaways
    • Lifestyle
    • Marriage
    • Motherhood
    • Parenting
    • Pet Care
    • Special Needs
    • Time Management
    • Travel
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas

Weeknight Rocket – Almond Arugula Pesto Recipe

December 10, 2009 by NikkiG

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

ShareTweetPinPocketMail

Few meals can compare to the bright notes of homemade pesto tossed with pasta and grated cheese. Pesto packs such intense flavor that it tastes like you spent hours laboring over it in the kitchen. Yet, it blends up in less time than it takes to boil a pot of linguine.

My all-time favorite pesto comes direct from Italy: almonds, arugula leaves, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you’re not familiar with it, arugula is a peppery mustard salad green with a slight bitter edge. Or maybe you heard it called by one of its other common names, such as, rocket, roquette, rugula, and rucola.

Whatever name you choose, this healthy green needs to be added to your pasta-cooking repertoire. Not only is it deceptively easy to make, it’s also rich in iron and Vitamins A and C, making it a win all around.

In this recipe arugula’s spice adds just enough kick to make it a lasting memory. The cheese, nuts, and olive oil soften its peppery finish without trouncing on it. Somewhere in the middle, the lemon zest adds a citrus surprise alongside the garlic and salad greens.

Almond arugula pesto is a complex sauce to the very end. It’s good enough to eat by the spoonful, just try not to forget about the linguine boiling on the stove.

Almond Arugula Pesto

Almond Arugula Pesto

Yield 1 cup

½ cup raw almonds
3 cloves garlic (peeled)
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups packed fresh arugula leaves (tough stems removed)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano)
a few pinches sea salt (to taste)
ground black pepper (to taste)

Place almonds, garlic cloves, and lemon zest in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is fairly finely chopped, then add the fresh arugula leaves and the olive oil. When smooth, add the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately tossed with pasta and sun-dried tomatoes or on a warmed baguette topped with fresh tomatoes and goat cheese.

self-portrait kitchenNikki is a freelance writer and photographer who records the simple things in life: art, food, and story. She blogs at art and lemons.

ShareTweetPinPocketMail
“We can CATCH Santa???”
Start Spreadin’ The News…..

Reader Interactions


Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

6 Comments

  1. Nikki Gardner says

    December 14, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    Thanks for your comments everyone! I hope you do try this recipe, it’s good enough to eat by the spoonful…

    The Gang’s Momma – Yes, I often double or triple the batch (depending on how much arugula I have on hand), store some in the fridge for a meal or two (tossed with pasta, served with polenta, or spread on a toasted sandwich with goat cheese or fresh mozzarella), and freeze the rest in portion-sized freezer bags.

    Reply
  2. Lindsey says

    December 14, 2009 at 10:12 am

    I looove that you’re adding food now! 🙂 This looks really good, I’ll have to try it!

    Reply
  3. Rachel says

    December 11, 2009 at 9:47 am

    Mmmmm….I love pesto and I love arugula, I’m definitley going to give this recipe a try!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Belinda A. says

    December 10, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    Oh my, this sounds wonderful! I’m hopelessly addicted to pesto in any form:)

    Reply
  5. The Gang's Momma says

    December 10, 2009 at 8:50 pm

    That looks and sounds amazing. Pre-made, jarred pesto has long been one of my quick “go to” ingredients to keep well stocked. But I must try this one from scratch to change things up a bit. I’m wondering, does it freeze well should I choose to make it in bulk?

    Reply
  6. Michelle Kent says

    December 10, 2009 at 5:36 pm

    Oh my ! That looks so good thank you for sharing .

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Bringing Moms Together

We are Janice and Susan, twin bloggers and work-at-home moms. We're here to inspire, encourage & empower you.

Meet Us…

Work With Us…

Subscribe via Email

to be first to read new posts

Trending Now

Christmas Ideas For Women – Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas Ideas For Women – Holiday Gift Guide

Free Printable Thanksgiving Word Search For Kids

Free Printable Thanksgiving Word Search For Kids

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

browse around

  • Posts by Susan
  • Posts by Janice
  • Favorite Recipes
  • Favorite Crafts
  • Giveaways
  • All Posts

Footer

Recipes

Easy Weeknight Dinners Your Family Will Love

Easy Weeknight Dinners Your Family Will Love

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and History

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and History

25 Awesome Rainbow and Green St. Patrick’s Day Treats

25 Awesome Rainbow and Green St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Crafts/DIY

Free Printable Thanksgiving Word Search For Kids

Free Printable Thanksgiving Word Search For Kids

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Beetlejuice Lydia Deetz Costume DIY

Beetlejuice Lydia Deetz Costume DIY

Giveaways

Holiday Gift Guides and Christmas Giveaway 2023

Holiday Gift Guides and Christmas Giveaway 2023

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Us
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 5 Minutes for MomTheme by Melissa Rose Design and Once Coupled