Wasabi Arugula Pesto
Wasabi Arugula packs a remarkably similar flavor and heat to its namesake Japanese condiment. Try this spicy, leafy green in our remixed version of classic pesto. This recipe is free of gluten and nightshades.
Servings: 2 cups (approx.)
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups fresh wasabi arugula leaves packed
- ½ cup raw walnuts chopped
- 6-8 cloves garlic unpeeled
- ½ cup olive oil plus 1 tbsp for cooking garlic
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook, tossing frequently, until they start turning light brown and toasted. Watch them carefully - they can go from "toasted" to "burnt" in a matter of seconds. Remove from heat as soon as they reach the desired color and let cool. This step can be skipped if you prefer, but it will help bring out the flavor of the walnuts.
- For the garlic, you will need to decide how intense you would like the garlic flavor to be. For the mildest pesto, you will cook all of your garlic cloves. For more intensity, leave some raw. Peel any cloves that you intend to use raw and set them aside, but leave the skins on the rest. Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium-high, and add all of the unpeeled garlic. Cook until skins are well browned and begin to blister, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, removing the skins once they are safe to handle. Mince cooked and fresh garlic, then set aside.
- Place wasabi arugula leaves, garlic, walnuts and salt in a food processor. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil and pulse for a few seconds. Repeat until all of the oil has been used and the pesto has reached a smooth consistency.
- Scrape pesto into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Taste and adjust the salt and oil amounts until you reach your preferred flavor and consistency.
Notes
- Wasabi arugula is a rarity in most supermarkets, but might turn up at farmers markets. It is easily grown from seed, however (we got our seeds from Baker Creek.
- This recipe can be used for standard arugula pesto, and other tender greens or leafy herbs (spinach, basil, etc.). The flavor will vary depending on what you use.