Arugula, basil, poached garlic, pine nuts

Vegan Arugula Pesto with Poached Garlic

NOTES

This is an all-purpose recipe, and one to rely on. It is really forgiving, so use more garlic if you like, or more or less pine nuts. I keep small portions of pesto frozen in case of dinner emergencies. If you are a dairy addict, go ahead and reduce the salt by a half, and add 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small butter warmer pan (a tiny saucepan), cover your garlic cloves in olive oil. They should be just submerged. Simmer on the lowest setting your burner has to poach for 10-15 minutes. If it starts to bubble too much, slide the pan over so it is not directly on the heat. You do not want the garlic to brown or fry; we are gently cooking it until it is soft and mushy (akin to roasted garlic, but milder). Remove from heat.

Toast pine nuts on a skillet, moving every minute or so until lightly browned.

In a food processor, add 2 cups of arugula, basil, pine nuts, salt, poached garlic, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth, adding the oil from the butter pan as you go.

Stop the food processor, add your remaining arugula and pulse, streaming the remaining olive oil as you blend.

Salt and pepper to taste. I like my pesto a little on the chunky side, so I don’t over blend, but if you want a smoother texture, just let it go a little longer.

Serve with grilled bread, on pasta, or as a dip. If you have some leftover, put it in the freezer for later.

RECIPE

DIFFICULTY

EASY

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SERVES

6

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Pesto

  • 6-7 
    cups 
    arugula
  • 1 
    cup 
    basil leaves, removed from stem
  • 3/4 
    cup 
    pine nuts
  • 1/2 
    tbs 
    salt
  • 5 
    cloves 
    garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 
    cup 
    olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small butter warmer pan (a tiny saucepan), cover your garlic cloves in olive oil. They should be just submerged. Simmer on the lowest setting your burner has to poach for 10-15 minutes. If it starts to bubble too much, slide the pan over so it is not directly on the heat. You do not want the garlic to brown or fry; we are gently cooking it until it is soft and mushy (akin to roasted garlic, but milder). Remove from heat.

Toast pine nuts on a skillet, moving every minute or so until lightly browned.

In a food processor, add 2 cups of arugula, basil, pine nuts, salt, poached garlic, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth, adding the oil from the butter pan as you go.

Stop the food processor, add your remaining arugula and pulse, streaming the remaining olive oil as you blend.

Salt and pepper to taste. I like my pesto a little on the chunky side, so I don’t over blend, but if you want a smoother texture, just let it go a little longer.

Serve with grilled bread, on pasta, or as a dip. If you have some leftover, put it in the freezer for later.

This last weekend was my birthday, and I celebrated by hosting a Potluck Salad Bar. I provided the basics (greens, an array of dressings, and smoked fish, cause it’s my birthday and I can do what I please) and others brought their favorite salad accoutrements. It was a huge success, but as I am wont to do, I got a little carried away and bought way too much food. Post-party, my fridge was bursting with greens and my house was laden with daffodils (fine by me). I have a history of over-doing it — like the time I ordered oysters for a New Year’s party, assuming that all 20 guests would shuck/eat a dozen apiece. We were frantically frying up dozens of bivalves the next day. These are exactly the kind of problems I like to have.

This time, I had piles and piles of arugula left in my charge, more than even I could consume in the immediate future. I channeled a distant memory of vibrant, green, summer pesto (fresh from the garden), smeared on, well, anything and everything. This is my favorite way to deal with a glut of basil in my vegetable garden and one that lasts a lot longer than fresh herbs in the fridge. Though pesto is typically made with basil, it can of course be made exclusively from spicy arugula in the colder months. I added a tiny bit of basil to this recipe because it too was a leftover item from this weekend’s festivities, but it wasn’t necessary.

This recipe is vegan, but you wouldn’t know it. When I make pesto, I often forgo the cheese, preferring a cleaner, greener flavor. I find the unctuous pine nuts and extra virgin olive oil are rich enough for my palate. I poached the garlic the way chef/guest blogger Jeff Ross taught me to, which lent the pesto a sweet and mild garlic flavor.

This pesto is basically a salad in a blender: greens, olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Put it on toast or pasta, use it as a dip for crudité, apply it to your skincare regimen – I bet it wouldn’t be so bad…but don’t hold me liable for that.