Happy Meatless Monday! I had too much cilantro and arugula hanging out in my fridge. It’s also in the 40’s today. (Um, what’s up, Mother Nature? It’s basically June.) I really wanted a dinner that’s hearty and warm. I whipped up an Arugula Cilantro Pesto to top some ravioli and sweet potato pasta to combat this chilly, rainy weather. The fun part about this recipe is that it’s really a place to start. You start with these basic proportions and add more cilantro and/or arugula as needed, some lime juice here or there and maybe parm; it’s all to taste. It’s the perfect meal prep and now I’ll add it to my freezer to use this summer!
Ingredients (makes about 2 c with 1-2 T servings)
- 1/2 c walnuts
- 2 c fresh cilantro leaves
- 2-3 c baby arugula
- 1/2 lime, juiced (lemon works too!)
- 2 T grated parmesan
- 1/4 to 1/3 c light olive oil
- 1/8 t salt (or to taste)
Directions.
- In food processor, add walnuts and blend well until walnuts resemble a coarse, gritty flour.
- Combine cilantro, arugula, lime juice and parm. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides while blending.
- While blending on low, slowly pour olive oil into food processor. You may need to add more oil (or 1 t increments of water). Again, stop and scrape down the sides.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 wks or freeze up to 4 months.
- Enjoy!
Adapted from my Pesto with Basil. This is the basic ratios. You can easily swap for any greens — basil, spinach, parsley, kale, etc. — or any nuts like pine nuts, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Nutrition for 1 T.
32 calories • 3.5 g fat (90%) • 0.4 g carbs (5%) • 0.4 g protein (5%) • 0.1 g sugar
* These are estimates based off specific products I used and how I entered ingredients in a fitness tracker. This is completely subjective and used to give a rough nutritional estimate.
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