Basil Arugula Pesto Recipe

Basil Arugula Pesto Recipe! Parmesan, lemon, garlic and more, this is a delicious and vibrant pesto that goes deliciously with pasta, grilled vegetables, meats and grilled bread. We hope you try it! 

I have always loved pesto. The ease in making it. Most pesto recipes are very forgiving. You can usually blend up greens, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil and almost always get something delicious. When I discovered how expensive basil was and depending on where you live, it can be hard to find in larger quantities, I started experimenting with spinach and arugula pesto. Spinach and arugula are easier to get in larger quantities and they are more cost efficient. 

Ingredients: What You Will Need

I love that pesto is super versatile and you can easily swap out different ingredients. Like pine nuts for example, my daughter actually prefers pesto with walnuts or pecans instead of pine nuts. You can also use pecorino instead of parmesan cheese. 

Basil Arugula Pesto Recipe

A lot of you asked for a basil pesto recipe and frankly, I love a blend of greens when making pesto but if you want all basil, use all basil. You can’t go wrong either way. I hope you try the recipe!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Basil Arugula Pesto Recipe

I love a blend of greens when making pesto but if you want an all basil pesto, use all basil. You can't go wrong either way. Enjoy!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Condiment, Main dish/Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: basil pesto, pesto

Servings: 4

Author: hipfoodiemom

Equipment

• food processor, mini chopper or blender

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Ingredients

• 1 cup basil
• 2 cups arugula and baby spinach blend
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup pine nuts* toasted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin

Instructions

• Using a food processor, blend up the basil, arugula and baby spinach until finely chopped. Add the parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can add the salt and pepper at the end if that's easier. Blend up again until everything is smooth.
• With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. I like adding a 1/2 cup of olive oil but start with a 1/4 cup and add more if you need to. Taste and adjust anything as needed.
• Mix pesto with cooked pasta, enjoy with grilled meats, or vegetables, roasted potatoes or grilled bread. The possibilities are endless, enjoy!
• To store: Pesto can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 2–3 months. 

  Here are some tips for storing pesto:

  Refrigerate: Place pesto in a sealable container or jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation and keep the herbs fresh. This can help pesto keep its green color.

  Freeze: Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays or in a sealable container.

  1. Ice cube trays: Fill the trays with pesto, freeze for a few hours, then remove the cubes and place them in a freezer bag. Label the bag with the date.

  2. Sealable container: Cover larger amounts of pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to minimize browning, then tightly seal the container and place it in the freezer. When you're ready to use, thaw pesto at room temperature or in the fridge.

Notes

*you can also use pecan or walnuts instead of pine nuts. If using pine nuts, I highly recommend toasting them. Simply add the pine nuts to a pan over medium heat. Stir until they are slightly golden brown. Stay and watch them closely; they can burn easily if cooking over high heat. Remove from heat and set aside.