When life gives you lemons… well, there are a lot of things you can do besides make lemonade. And when life gives you lemons AND arugula, you can make Lemon Arugula Pesto!
Or, you can make an arugula salad with lemon garlic dressing. Or, this tasty looking lemon arugula pasta!
Basically, lemon and arugula go together like two peas in a pod. They’re a match made in heaven. Arugula has an awesome peppery flavor, making it similar to an herb, with all the health benefits of leafy greens (it’s a great source of and vitamin K and folates, among other numerous nutrients). When combined, the arugula’s fresh, peppery flavor is enhanced by the brightness of the lemon. So, SO good.
Pesto is one of my favorite ways to use up bunches of fresh herbs or other greens (you can even make pesto from spinach!). I’ve used cilantro to make a cilantro jalapeno pesto, and have dabbled in a traditional basil pesto. The result is always a delicious and fresh sauce to use on pasta, chicken, seafood, steak, or even just spread on toasted bread. Or, eaten plain with a spoon. Yum.
And, it’s super easy to make in only FIVE MINUTES!
You’ll need a food processor
. If I were to suggest one all-time super important kitchen utensil to have at home, it’s a food processor (far more important than a blender, if you ask me!). You can make this pesto in 2 minutes with a food processor.
You can make peanut butter, FROM SCRATCH with only ONE INGREDIENT in FOUR MINUTES, with a food processor.
Salsa, hummus, and all kinds of sauces and dips can easily be made at home with a food processor.
Making these things from scratch enables you to control the ingredients going in, making them much healthier (and less expensive) than other store-bought alternatives.
In summary, go buy a food processor if you don’t have one (I have this Cuisinart one and I love it)!
The other beauty of making things in a food processor: you don’t have to prep anything by chopping it, since the food processor does all the work for you!
To make this pesto, just add some arugula, a small garlic clove (since raw garlic is very potent, you don’t want too much), lemon zest and a little bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper (omit if you don’t want it spicy), and some almonds to the food processor.
A note about the almonds: traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts, but I like using almonds as a substitute because they are cheaper. You can use any nut- pistachios, walnuts… go NUTS! HAH!
Turn the food processor on, and while it is running, drizzle in about a half of a cup of olive oil. When you add the oil while the machine is running, it helps bind everything together so the pesto doesn’t separate.
At this point, you can add some parmesan, Romano, or cotija cheese… or not! I always find that pesto is flavorful enough without added cheese.
But since I had leftover cotija from Mexican risotto and tacos the other night, I went ahead and added it. If you choose to not use cheese, I recommend adding a bit more salt.
Blitz the pesto for just another few seconds with the cheese, and that’s it! You’re done!
Serve the pesto on baked chicken breasts, in pesto chicken lasagna roll-ups, or on spaghetti squash, as a spread for sandwiches, or on pesto pasta salad!
More unique pesto recipes
Here’s the printable recipe!
FIve Minute Lemon Arugula Pesto
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups baby arugula packed
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1/2 cup almonds Sliced, slivered, or whole. Pine nuts, walnuts, or other nuts can also be used!
- juice and zest of one lemon
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper optional
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan Romano, or cotija cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for olive oil and cheese to a food processor.
- Turn food processor on. While it is running, drizzle the olive oil (1/2 cup) in gradually.
- Once the ingredients are well blended and pesto looks smooth, uncover and add cheese, if using. Pulse to combine.
- Serve spread on toast, mixed with pasta, on cooked grilled chicken or steak- or eat with a spoon!
Notes
- Store pesto in your fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Traditional parmesan cheese may not be suitable for a strict vegetarian diet because it contains animal rennet. Look for a suitable vegetarian substitute, such as a parmesan made with plant rennet.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Debra
Fabulous! I added a little bit of fresh mozzarella cheese, as that was all I had, and served it over bow tie pasta. Added a dash or two of crushed red pepper flakes; otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. Honestly, I could have eaten it with a spoon straight out of the bowl. Thank you for an amazing pesto recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh wow- fresh mozzarella in pesto! I bet that added a really beautiful creamy texture. Great idea. Thanks for the tip, and glad you liked it!
Brit
This was absolutely AMAZING!!! I can eat this stuff with just a spoon !
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!! I have been known to eat this with a spoon too :-)
pam
Hi Elizabeth!
My garden has exploded with arugula and I can hardly keep up with it’s growth! So I searched for an arugula sauce recipe and found yours. Looks and sounds delicious so I’m going to give it a try tomorrow!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yay! Hope you like it! I’ve got a great warm potato salad with arugula recipe on the blog too, and a few pastas with arugula… just search “arugula” in the search box if you want some more ideas! ?
ExpatInGermany
Yum! I have also made this with pumpkin seeds, which I always have on hand. Thank you.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes! Love pumpkin seeds as a nut-free option for this!
Anna Cabrera
Delicious!! It was wonderful. I used walnuts and added extra garlic.
Elizabeth
Thanks, and happy you liked it!
Sarah
This recipe is amazing and your tips are so helpful! I followed your advice to use more salt if omitting the cheese and I had no idea pesto could be so tasty without the parmesan. And I was so surprised at how the peppery flavor of the arugula was nicely mellowed. You could eat this stuff with a spoon. I managed to not snarf it down on it’s own and added it to a pot of rice and shredded chicken. Yummo! Thanks again!
Elizabeth
SO happy you liked the recipe! :-)
Kat
Has anyone ever made pesto with frozen arugula? I have so much in the freezer for smoothies and could use this rather than buying fresh.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never tried it with frozen but I bet it would work! I’ve seen recipes for basil pesto that uses blanched basil, so I don’t see why frozen arugula (which would have a similar texture to blanched) wouldn’t work.
Franceska
I’m a big fan of arugula and I usually prepare arugula pesto with walnuts. I tried your recipe and it was really great! PS. Your photos are so inviting! :)
Elizabeth
Thank you so much! I’ll have to try it with walnuts sometime- I bet that tastes amazing!
Meg @ Noming thru Life
Love this pesto version, seriously. I am always a fan of non-traditional pesto ingredients, such as not using good ole pine nuts and basil. Love to see you mixed it up ;) And that brilliant green color, perfect!
Ana Fernandez
Greta recipe! and the pictures are just so drool worthy!!
Sarah | Well and Full
I LOVE this recipe!! Adding lemon to anything instantly gives it a beautifully fresh flavor. Also argula is my absolute favorite salad green so this recipe is perfect :)