This pesto is unique due to the arugula, which gives it a peppery bite. I also like the lack of cheese, but add it if you must. Use as a spread or on pasta. My favorite is on baguette slices or on whole wheat crackers. It's addictive!
This recipe was perfect for my non-dairy diet and my in-laws liked it as well. We used this as a spread on grilled pizza (w/o cheese) and it was very good. The left-overs did not freeze very well so I will make 1/2 recipe next time.
Read MoreI didn't like this very much, I think regular pesto is better.
Read MoreThis recipe was perfect for my non-dairy diet and my in-laws liked it as well. We used this as a spread on grilled pizza (w/o cheese) and it was very good. The left-overs did not freeze very well so I will make 1/2 recipe next time.
I made this pesto for linguine. It's a good recipe, and I will probably use it again. I think I'll leave out the olives next time, because I thought the flavor was a bit too complex. Then again, I added asagio, so I wasn't helping matters!
First experience with pesto and it was really good. A great way to use up the arugula in my herb garden.
I just finished making this. Incredible. I haven't even added the salt or pepper yet, and it tastes great. I will be adding this pesto to pasta tomorrow. And after that, I'm going to surprise my husband with a white pesto pizza. This has so many uses. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
My wife does not eat cheese so this recipe is perfect. I put a few extra cloves of garlic in. We like it so much that I dedicated one of my "earth boxes" to growing only basil and arugula and make a batch about every week. Needless to say I give a lot away, to the pleasure of my friends.
Great on pizza instead of red sauce (try with herbed goat cheese and sliced tomatoes), in a sandwich or just spread on toast. The garlic was strong initially, but it really mellowed the day after.
Here's an idea for this recipe- try it as a dressing on spaghetti squash- it's really good! I put in a little less than 1/2 a cup of olive oil instead of 3/4. tasty!
This is great, especially with more freshly grated parmesan on top. I made a big batch and froze what I didn't use and it tastes just as good after it's thawed.
I am a huge arugula fan (it's always in my fridge - sometimes I forget to use it and it goes bad) and I enjoy basil pesto. It took owning a food processor to get me to try this recipe. I usually do my own thing depending on what I have on hand - didn't have fresh basil since the local farmers market just ended. 4 cloves of chopped garlic that I threw in with 1/4c pine nuts that I toasted in a pan on the stove. I added parm cheese and omitted the olives. I think I used about 1/4-1/3c olive oil which was plenty for me. It made a great spread on my tomato sandwich and I'm looking forward to trying it with other things.
Really good Mark, but I do like to add cheese to my pestos. Due to allergies, I subbed with walnuts. Love the spice of arugula, so if you're a fan, you'll like this. Thanks!
Made exactly as stated. Very good if you like arugula and you like normal basil pesto. I do!
I got arugula and basil from a friend's garden/CSA share... there's nothing better to do with it than make this pesto! I like the bite of the arugula! It goes very well over pasta.
Very good recipe without changing anything... i did end up adding asiago, but still very good without it!
I made these changes: used about 2 cups of each basil and arugula, almonds instead of pine nuts (they are much less expensive), a little bit more lime juice and about a cup of oil to make it more creamy. I also did not have any red wine vinegar on hand. I like the addition of the cumin - I found this pesto to be extremely explosive with flavor! Served it with pasta with shrimp and black olives (instead of blending it in with the pesto). Thank you for this recipe!
This is really, really good. I left out the black olives and used pecans instead of pine nuts (it's what I had), also used extra garlic. It does have a bite to it. I made a pesto pasta salad with shrimp and asparagus, adding cheese to the pasta instead of the sauce. Tonight is pesto pizza. If there's any left (it makes quite a bit) I will freeze it for later use. Yummmm.
Yum yum yum! I grow a little basil, and make and freeze a couple batches of pesto every year, but knew I would need to stretch the harvest this year. This fit the bill perfectly. And nondairy is something I need to work more of into my diet so bonus points there too. Don't let the unorthodox seasonings throw you. They are very subtle and just right. I'm going to try a little on some grilled salmon tonight and then tomorrow spread it (a lot of it!) on a goat cheese and tomato sandwich on ciabata tomorrow for lunch. I made the recipe exactly as is. I might cut back a wee bit on the garlic next time. Thanks for a great recipe!
I served this with linguini and it was delicious. I didn't have the black olives, but I followed the rest of the recipe as written.
absolutely perfect! Used my own fresh garden herbs and the arugula adds such sharp flavor! Excellent on a pizza too!
Excellent. My whole family loved it served on Italian bread. Good way to use my garden arugula.
I made this for as a dressing for my pasta salad and it added a great layer of taste. I changed it up a tad, I also used fresh spinach leaves and instead of pine nuts, used sunflower seeds and omitted the olives. Made my pasta salad a big hit at the potluck lunch!
DH really is on the fence about basil, and in particular pesto. The arugula cut enough of the basil taste that he really enjoyed this. I subbed toasted walnuts for the pine nuts- too expensive! Part of my basil was of the lemon variety so this really had a fresh flavor as I upped the lime juice just a smidge too. Nice change and makes a big batch so I could freeze some. Thanks Mark!
I first fell in love with arugula pesto when we went to the west coast it was served on salmon. This recipe tastes just like it! Great on any pasta or most any fish
Was too bland.
Fast and Delicious in the food processor for tonight's dinner. I substituted walnuts and served it with chicken cutlets and pasta for a winning meal. Thank you for submitting this recipe.
Very good flavor. Not too weak like some pesto. I didn't have the olives so I went w/o.
This was my 1st attempt at making pesto and it turned out great. I only had dehydrated arugula and still got a nice peppery flavor. I subbed wasabi almonds for the pine nuts and added parmesan.
In defense of the recipe, I just used what I had on hand, so I'm sure it would have yielded a different taste had I had everything. ;) I had a ton of arugula that needed using, which is how I found this recipe. I did not have any olives or pine nuts...next time I will be sure to get some. And I will probably add more garlic too! I had some fresh watercress that needed using, so I added that too since I didn't have the amount of basil that it called for. Even with all these substitutions and changes, it was still very yummy! I will come back and review it again once I make it as directed. :) The pesto smells amazing and tastes okay. Thanks for the recipe!
A standard in our home now. Absolutely love it! Better than pesto with cheese. I have even made it with escarole. Thanks for a great idea. I use almonds instead of pine nuts and often skip the olives. Delicious nevertheless.
I toasted whole cumin seeds with the pine nuts, added garlic and olive oil, cayenne, and that's it. Amazing!!!
Nice take on the tradition. I prefer it without the olives and with less oil... but it's still an excellent idea. If you make, it highly recommend using fresh pasta ... makes my day!
This is tasty ! I used walnuts in place of pine nuts.i omitted the olives added a little sugar and roasted garlic in place of fresh . I freezing this In small containers .
This is a great recipe for pesto that is dairy-free. It's always a struggle with my daughter and this made her day!
I've made this several times and then freeze the pesto in ice cube trays for use later. Everyone I share some with love it!
very good! i like the cumin in it, but actually would like more than an 1/8t. i used jalapeño stuffed green olives to give it a little kick and ended up using the juice of the whole lime. the citrus balances out the pine nut flavor, very nicely. also for the fact that there is no cheese in it, reheating the pesto is much easier. pesto w/cheese gets kind of gummy when reheating it. and also then each person can add grated cheese to the top of the dish, should they choose to. crumbled feta would be very nice, as well! try it.... i think you'll like it!
Excellent .. due to limitations (I live in Montevideo) I used cashey nuts ..not pine seed .. and green olives .. worked as well. Very tasty and vegan. Thank you very much for this pesto idea.
This recipe is super forgiving. By the time I got around to making it, my arugula was wilting and I did not have nearly enough basil. I used about 1/2 cup of arugula and 1/4 cup of basil and supplemented with spinach. This probably changed the taste in the end, but it was still delicious. You also don't need quite that much oil. A half cup was plenty. I'm planning to keep this recipe on hand for whenever I have leftover greens that need to be used up.
This really is a fantastic recipe, thanks for sharing. I halved the recipe which seems to yield a little more than a cup of pesto. I also used almonds since good quality pine nuts are so expensive now. I used Genovese basil, which I had growing in the garden, and I parboiled both the basil and the arugula for 15 seconds before grinding it to prevent any darkening/browning of the leaves. Don't forget the salt and pepper as this brightens the flavor of the arugula.
I made this recipe twice, the first time as is and then without the olives. The rating is for as is. We much prefer it without the olives.
My first pesto and it was great. I just recently visited Italy and fell in love with pesto. I am on a diet with no dairy and this recipe was perfect for that. This recipe is full of taste and better than any store bought brand that I have tried.
