This recipe comes from my love of making pesto in big batches and freezing
it in small portions so I don’t have to defrost a big container just to use a little
bit (plus, it’s not great to keep refreezing things because they start to taste
like . . . the freezer). The small victory here is using an ice-cube tray to
facilitate the process. A cube of flavor at a moment’s notice, how great is
that? This arugula and walnut pesto, as delicious as tradtional pesto, not only
takes well to freezing but it’s also incredibly versatile. Toss it with a bowl of
spaghetti or with roasted vegetables. In the summer, drizzle it over a platter
of sliced tomatoes, or thin it with lemon juice for a salad dressing. Or mix it
with an equal measure of crème fraîche, yogurt, or mayonnaise to make a dip
for raw vegetables (which is a wonderful way to get kids to eat vegetables).
MAKES 1 1 /3 CUPS [300 G]
2 small garlic cloves
1 /2 cup [60 g] raw walnuts Packed
4 cups [80 g] baby arugula 1 /2 cup plus
2 Tbsp [150 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
1 /4 cup [8 g] finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
With the food processor running, drop the garlic into the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add the walnuts and pulse until finely chopped. Add the arugula and, you guessed it, pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and Parmesan and process, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary, until everything is well combined. Season to taste with salt.
Use immediately, or divide evenly among the wells of a standard ice-cube tray. Freeze until the cubes are solid, about 2 hours. Then, pop the cubes into an airtight bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
SPIN-OFFS FOR VEGAN PESTO, leave out the Parmesan and call it a day. Or, for a similar edge, add the grated zest of a lemon and/or some minced sun-dried tomatoes.
FOR A NUT-FREE PESTO, just leave out the walnuts.
FOR CLASSIC BASIL PESTO, swap fresh basil leaves for the arugula and pine nuts for the walnuts.
MAKES 1 1 /3 CUPS [300 G]
2 small garlic cloves
1 /2 cup [60 g] raw walnuts Packed
4 cups [80 g] baby arugula 1 /2 cup plus
2 Tbsp [150 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
1 /4 cup [8 g] finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
With the food processor running, drop the garlic into the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add the walnuts and pulse until finely chopped. Add the arugula and, you guessed it, pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and Parmesan and process, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary, until everything is well combined. Season to taste with salt.
Use immediately, or divide evenly among the wells of a standard ice-cube tray. Freeze until the cubes are solid, about 2 hours. Then, pop the cubes into an airtight bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
SPIN-OFFS FOR VEGAN PESTO, leave out the Parmesan and call it a day. Or, for a similar edge, add the grated zest of a lemon and/or some minced sun-dried tomatoes.
FOR A NUT-FREE PESTO, just leave out the walnuts.
FOR CLASSIC BASIL PESTO, swap fresh basil leaves for the arugula and pine nuts for the walnuts.
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