Arugula Pesto

I love arugula! That, combined with the fact that I am pregnant and should not be allowed to enter a grocery store alone, is the reason why I had three containers of arugula in my refrigerator this morning. (Along with leftover pizza, take-out vegetable beef soup, leftover cheesesticks, and jar upon jar of pickles...you get the picture) I swear, I am more dangerous with a credit card at a grocery store than my friend Emily is at an antique store! Rather than let all of that gorgeous arugula go bad in my fridge, I decided to use it up as quickly as possible by making this arugula pesto. I ate some of this batch with a steaming plate of spaghetti, but I have also served skewered shrimp brushed with arugula pesto at a cocktail party, and I think it would also make a lovely pasta salad tossed with farfalle, halved cherry tomatoes, and chunks of parmesan cheese. It is also good dolloped onto a nice hot bowl of vegetable soup. Or you could just dip your leftover pizza crust in it.

1/4 cup pine nuts
4 c arugula
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup parmigianno reggiano
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 t salt and six or seven grinds of black pepper)
a squeeze of lemon juice

Toast the pine nuts over medium high heat in an ungreased small frying pan for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are beginning to turn golden brown. Put them in a blender or food processor with all of the other ingredients and whizz until smooth. Voila! Arugula Pesto!

Comments

[Julie]

watch your hands while toasting those pine nuts, miss thing.
:)