• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Wine a Little, Cook a Lot
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • Recipes
  • Contact

Arugula Walnut & Basil Pesto Sauce

April 9, 2019 by Wine a Little Cook A Lot 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Share this recipe!
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Yummly
Yummly
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

Homemade arugula walnut & basil pesto sauce comes together in minutes for a quick and simple recipe.  Use this easy pesto sauce on chicken, pasta or fish!

A jar of homemade pesto that’s made with arugula, spinach, basil and walnuts. There’s a lemon wedge, walnut pieces and a small bowl full of fresh arugula in the background

Pesto is one of my favorite sauces to make.  It’s light, bright and super flavorful.

Homemade pesto sauce is incredibly easy and requires minimal effort-the ingredients are placed in a blender (or food processor) and mixed until smooth. 

Spinach is added in with the arugula, basil and walnuts for an extra boost of green.

Pesto is one of those sauces I make regularly in the Spring and Summer because it’s so easy and goes with anything!  Plus, there’s so many different versions you can make so it never gets boring.

A head on shot of a small mason jar filled with homemade pesto sauce. It’s quick and easy to make using arugula basil and walnuts. There’s a slice of lemon next to the jar of pesto and fresh arugula leaves in the background

What is pesto made of?

Traditional, Italian pesto sauce is made from fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and garlic.

What can you use instead of pine nuts?

You can use any nut in pesto sauce that you prefer! My favorites are walnuts and almonds.  I’ve seen recipes that use pistachios and cashews as well.

What can you use instead of basil?

Basil gives pesto its original flavor, however there are tons of recipes that don’t use basil in their pesto.

You can use spinach, arugula or even parsley. 

It’s fun to swap and mix ingredients in your pesto sauce.  Basically the equation for any pesto sauce is:

Greens + Toasted Nuts + Garlic + Cheese + Olive Oil=Awesomely Delicious Homemade Pesto Sauce

A round clear bowl filled with fresh arugula, basil, spinach, garlic cloves and Parmesan cheese. Salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil is added slowly and blended until the pesto sauce is smooth.

Some easy ways I like to use my homemade arugula walnut & basil pesto is:

  • On grilled chicken
  • Over pasta (or spaghetti squash/veggie noodles)
  • On pizza with fresh mozzarella
  • Spread on crostini for an easy appetizer
  • On top of salmon

My all-time favorite pesto recipe is with my homemade cauliflower gnocchi recipe

An overhead shot of arugula pesto, walnuts, lemon and fresh arugula. The pesto is easily made in the food processor and can be used in fish, chicken, pasta or pizza.

Homemade pesto can be kept in an airtight container or jar for 5-7 days in the refrigerator or 3-4 months in the freezer.

To freeze your homemade pesto:

  1. Place in ice cube trays and once frozen, remove and store in zip lock bag. This way you can take out as much as you need at a time for your recipe!
  2. Store in airtight container or small jars and freeze 3-4 months.  Defrost to room temperature before using.

Homemade arugula walnut & basil pesto is easy and can be used in tons of great recipes!  Best part is it’s quick and easy to make :)…just how we like it.

Continue to Content
A jar of homemade pesto that’s made with arugula, spinach, basil and walnuts. There’s a lemon wedge, walnut pieces and a small bowl full of fresh arugula in the background

Arugula Walnut & Basil Pesto Sauce

Yield: 1 cup (about)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Homemade arugula basil & walnut pesto sauce comes together in minutes for a quick and simple recipe. Use this easy pesto sauce on chicken, pasta or fish!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup Arugula
  • 1/2 cup Basil
  • 1 cup Spinach
  • ½ cup Walnuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients except for olive oil in food processor or blender.
  2. Pulse until well combined.
  3. Slowly add in olive oil, and process until pureed and smooth (it's okay if it's a little chunky!)
  4. Use immediately or store in airtight jar or container.

Notes

Pesto sauce can be frozen for up to 3-4 months or kept in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @winealittlecookalot on Instagram and hashtag it #winealittlecookalot

© Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Cuisine: American
Share this recipe!
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Yummly
Yummly
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

Filed Under: Dinner, Healthy, Vegetarian & Vegan Tagged With: arugulapesto, easypestorecipe, homemadepesto, spinachpesto, walnutpesto

Previous Post: « Asian Cauliflower Rice Stir-fry Bowls
Next Post: Pasta with Spinach, Ground Turkey & Cannellini Beans »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes

    April 9, 2019 at 11:45 am

    Pesto lovers unite – I just had basil pesto with pasta and chicken for dinner 🙂 I love the idea of your twist – arugula and walnut would go perfect together!

    Reply
    • Wine a Little Cook A Lot

      April 10, 2019 at 11:04 am

      That sound delicious! Thank you 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

Hey Foodie!

Wine a Little Cook A Lot

Hi there! I’m Alyssa…a Rhode Island native and proud born foodie. Thanks for visiting my food blog aka my sanity and safe haven :). I’m super excited to share my recipes with you and hope to keep you coming back for more! Read More…

Social Menu Bar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Categories

  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • Recipes
  • Contact

Footer

winealittlecookalot

Alyssa|Food Blogger
If you know anything about me it's probably that I If you know anything about me it's probably that I LOVE brown butter.  So why not add it to these oatmeal espresso chocolate chip cookies?  Happy Saturday baking my foodies 😊. Get the recipe by clicking the link in my profile --> @winealittlecookalot⁣
#winealittlecookalot #cookielove #instacookies #oatmealchocolatechip #saturdaybaking #foodie_features #instayummy #dessertstagram #thefeedfeedbaking #tastespotting #foodblogfeed
It's Friday and the sun is shining which is making It's Friday and the sun is shining which is making me realllyy crave summer 😎. I guess this fresh watermelon cucumber lemonade will hold me over...with a hint of basil, it's refreshing and easy to make with no added sugar!  And if you added a shot or two of vodka to it, I would not judge 😂. Tap the link in my bio for the full recipe -> @winealittlecookalot  #drinksofinstagram #drinkstagram #drinkdrinkdrink #winealittlecookalot #watermelonlemonade #cocktailhour #summerdrinks #cocktailoftheday #instadrink #drinkoftheday
This roasted carrot salad is the perfect Easter si This roasted carrot salad is the perfect Easter side dish cause it’s easy and so god damn beautiful 🤩🤭:
🌷roasted rainbow carrots & beets
🌷arugula 
🌷radishes
🌷honey goat cheese
🌷toasted walnuts
🌷lemon Dijon maple dressing
Get the recipe by clicking the link in my profile @winealittlecookalot 
.
.
#winealittlecookalot #easterrecipes #springsalad #saladsofinstagram #eatingtherainbow #vegetarianrecipe #tasteofhome #foodgawker #buzzfeedfood #feedfeed #foodiesofinstagram
Grandma’s stuffed artichokes are always an Easte Grandma’s stuffed artichokes are always an Easter favorite in our family.  Made with breadcrumbs, grated cheese, black olives, a little lemon and parsley.  Once you get the hang of how to prepare these bad boys, they’re not so intimidating 🙃. Find this recipe and more Easter recipes by clicking the link in my profile @winealittlecookalot 
.
.
.
#winealittlecookalot #artichoke #easterdinner #springrecipes #vegetarianeats #goodeats #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #tastespotting #foodgawker #thefeedfeed #tasteofhome #foodphotography #rimonthly
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Thanks for visiting my blog! My recipes will hopefully inspire you to whip up something delicious and dance a little in your own kitchen :) Read More…

My Favorites

Air fried apple fritters on top of a cooling rack with parchment paper. They're dripping with brown butter glaze. There's a cup of coffee and red apple in the background with two whole cinnamon sticks.
A white bowl of homemade cauliflower gnocchi that have been pan fried and golden. They’re a copy cat version of Trader Joe’s

Copyright © 2021 Wine a Little, Cook a Lot on the Foodie Pro Theme