Arugula Pesto

I got a little excited last weekend at the farmer's market and bought way too much produce. Half way through the week I realized there was no way I'd be able to finish up all the arugula I bought before it wilted. I thought about making an arugula pesto and came across this recipe. It had a few more steps to it than many other, where the arugula is not blanched. However, i liked the idea of taking some of the kick out of the arugula. This pesto goes great on pasta, spaghetti squash or as a pizza sauce.

Adapted from Michael Chiarello
Makes around 1 cup

2 cups arugula
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil. While boiling, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. When the water is boiling, place the arugula in a sieve, and dunk it in the water. Stir the arugula in the boiling water for 15 seconds to blanch evenly. Remove from boiling water and plunge in to ice bath to quickly cool the arugula. Allow excess water to drain.

Squeeze any remaining water out of the arugula. In a blender, combine the arugula, garlic, oil, pine nuts, and salt and pepper. Blend for 30 seconds. Add the Parmesan and pulse to combine. Pesto can be stored in an airtight container for up to a 5 days in your fridge. Pin It Now!