Arugula-Basil Pesto Sauce

Have you planted a lot of arugula that is threatening to bolt in the summer heat? This pesto comes to the rescue. Harvest it all! This takes everyday pesto up a notch - fresh with a slight kick.

  • 6 cups of arugula

  • 3 cups of basil packed down (Keep the ratio of arugula to basil at 2:1)

  • 1.5 cups of roasted pine nuts (or pecans)

  • 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan

  • 1-2 cups of olive oil

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1/8 of cup of lemon juice

Steps

  1. Put the arugula and basil leaves into a food processor or high powered blender with the lemon juice. Turn it on and pour in the olive oil as the leaves begin to blend.

  2. Add the pine nuts (or pecans) and the cheese. Continue blending until smooth.

  3. Put composteable baking paper on a baking tray and pour the liquid pesto onto the paper so that its about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch thick.

  4. Put the baking tray into the freezer, keeping it laying flat for several hours. Once the mixture is frozen, cut the pesto into different serving size pieces. Put the pieces into a container, separated by composteable paper, and quickly refreeze them. You can now remove the individual pieces to get the amount you need for your meal at any time throughout the winter!


Christina Manning Lebek