Arugula Pesto

Pesto as we know it is a sauce originating from Italy (in Italian pesto is pestare, which means to pound or crush) and traditionally mixed with basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. A simple paste that brings flavor to any and all food. But we seem to pigeon hole ourselves into thinking that we can only have pesto when it is basil season. Fortunate for us this tasty sauce can be made with a variety of greens, cheese and nut mixtures. Be inventive! Below is a basic recipe for an arugula pesto. It will have an additional spicy zing compared to basil pesto, but feel free to jazz it up with other spices, herbs or nuts.

• 2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed

• 1/2 cup of shelled walnuts

• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

• 1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor.

Process in food processor: (the fast way… you can also use a mortar and pestle for a chunkier, more rustic version) Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.