Name: Arugula Pesto
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pound pasta of choice; 1½ cups arugula; ½ cup basil leaves; 2 garlic cloves, peeled; ½ cup roasted cashews; ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated; ¼ cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound pasta of choice
1½ cups arugula
½ cup basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup roasted cashews
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

In a blender or food processor, add arugula, basil, garlic, cashews, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 10 cranks of black pepper. Blitz until very smooth. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Transfer pesto into a large bowl.
Heavily salt a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before straining. Transfer pasta into the large bowl with pesto and ¼ cup of pasta water. Toss vigorously until fully coated and glossy.
Divide among bowls, top with more Parmesan cheese, and serve.

Notes

Any leafy green will work here, but the arugula adds a nice, mild spiciness. Plus, using mostly arugula and cashews in place of extra basil and pine nuts makes this sauce more cost-effective.