a little healthy, a little guilty, a lot of yummy

April 9, 2019

Arugula Walnut & Basil Pesto Sauce

Name: Arugula Walnut & Basil Pesto Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 cup (about)
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

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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!

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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:

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!
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.

5 from 1 vote