This easy-peasy arugula pesto is free of dairy, nuts, seeds and nightshades, making it Paleo, Whole30 and AIP-friendly, as well as vegan! Use it to kick any meal up a notch – from pasta, to fish, chicken, roasted veggies or salad, and everywhere in between!
This recipe was my very first recipe post, and it was Paleo, Whole30 and vegan, but has been updated to be AIP-compliant.
this recipe!
You guys. This is my first recipe post ever. I’m super nervous, because, I mean, what is there to say about food besides, “omg you guys this is so delicious! Make it!” But I’m also super excited to finally get this blog off the ground after months/years of “planning” (read: procrastinating), so I can finally share unbelievably simple recipes with you guys, so you can be as lazy as I am in the kitchen, but still eat healthy AIP-compliant home-cooked meals on the regular.
Why arugula pesto?
I decided the first recipe I should share with you should be something versatile that you can make on a Sunday and use to spice up all your meals throughout the rest of the week. Enter: Arugula Pesto. This bad boy can be used to bring almost any bland meal to next-level-delicious. Steak? Top if off with arugula pesto! Chicken? Top it off with arugula pesto! Fish? Pesto. Pasta? Pesto. Raw veggies? Pesto. Cooked veggies? Pesto. Salad? Pesto! …Are you getting the point that arugula pesto is the answer to all your problems? OK, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but seriously – what doesn’t go with pesto?
Bonus points (!): this pesto is made with arugula instead of basil so you can be just as lazy as me and buy your arugula on a Tuesday and “forget” to make pesto until the weekend, and your arugula will still be fresh! Whereas, with basil, by the time you get around to making the pesto, your basil is sad and brown, and needs to be thrown out. ?
Plus, the peppery arugula adds that extra zing! to take your boring weeknight meal from “leftovers again?!” to “I should be a chef and open my own restaurant!” ?
Maybe a bit overzealous? Nahh.
(Need a versatile sauce you can use on almost anything, but not really a fan of arugula? Try this 5-Minute Tangy Cilantro Sauce (DF) instead. Omit the almonds and red pepper flakes for AIP).
How to make this arugula pesto
This pesto is so easy to make, you could probably make it with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back.
Step 1: throw ingredients in food processor and blend.
Step 2: eat it by the spoonful.
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. Pro tip: pour a little olive oil on top of the pesto; it will help keep it from turning brown during storage. Just give the pesto a good stir before using and add more olive oil on top before storing again.
This AIP-compliant Arugula Pesto can also easily be frozen to use in recipes for months! Just divide among an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, pop out the pesto cubes, transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container, and store for up to 3-4 months! When ready to use, just thaw a few cubes in the fridge overnight.
Is there anything this pesto can’t do?
Alright! Go make this AIP Arugula Pesto! And then come back and tell me how it went in the comments. ??
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Arugula Pesto (Paleo, Whole30 & AIP)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy-peasy Arugula Pesto is Paleo, Whole30 and AIP friendly, and can be used to take just about any simple home-cooked meal up a notch – from pasta, to fish, chicken, roasted veggies or salad, and everywhere in between.
Ingredients
4 cups baby arugula, loosely packed
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until well combined.
Dig in!
Equipment
food processor
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measuring spoons
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measuring cups
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To store, drizzle a little olive oil on top of the pesto (to help prevent browning) and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week; or fill ice cube tray with pesto, freeze and then pop out and store in an airtight container (such as a plastic or silicone bag) in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
All nutrition information is an estimate, only, using an online nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
- Calories: 43
- Fat: 4.7g
- Carbohydrates: .6g
- Fiber: .1g
- Protein: .2g
Keywords: aip pesto, aip arugula pesto, nut-free, pesto, arugula pesto, dairy-free
1 Comment
Susan
December 2, 2022 at 10:10 pmThanks for this. It’s easy and tasty. I tried it when I ran out of basil and am glad I did.
★★★★★