I love making traditional basil pesto – by the end of summer, my vegetable garden is bursting with huge, bushy basil plants (that started life in the spring as a Trader Joe’s $2.99 live basil plant).
I went with my usual recipe of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and pecorino cheese. I shredded some of TJ’s Toscano Cheese with Black Pepper (this pecorino is a real gem of a cheese at TJ’s – definitely make a note to buy some for your next crackers & cheese spread).
If you’re not crazy about pine nuts or their price (or you are sensitive to the “pine nut bitter aftertaste syndrome” known as Pine Mouth), go with walnuts – they work perfectly here.
I process all the ingredients, minus the olive oil, in the food processor. I whisk in the olive oil by hand since I’ve found that processing extra virgin olive oil in the food processor sometimes makes it bitter.
The final result is a yummy pesto with lively, fresh flavor. Serve the pesto with your favorite spaghetti, linguine, or fettucine. Stir it in, coating the noodles, and top with extra cheese if desired. Leftover pesto sauce can be kept in the fridge for a few days in a bag with the air pressed out.
Ingredients
- 1 (7-oz) bag arugula (or traditional basil)
- 2 cubes frozen Crushed Garlic, or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated/shredded Toscano cheese or Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add arugula, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth. Scrape sides if necessary. Transfer to bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil into mixture and whisk smooth. Keep adding olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
June 14, 2011 @ 3:42 am
I’ll have to look for this Wasabi Arugula at my local TJ’s. I’m capable of eating a whole bag of arugula with just lemon, salt and pepper. I’m sure this spicier variety will perk my salads right up. As for the pesto, I’ll have to try that too. I usually add red pepper flakes to mine, since I like it spicy.
June 14, 2011 @ 6:57 am
Hi Sara,
You’re a woman after my own heart – I can polish a bag of arugula off, no problem.
If you try the wasabi arugula, or make pesto with it, I’d love to hear what you thought. I didn’t particularly think “wasabi” when I had it, but it had more heat than usual arugula or pesto.
June 15, 2011 @ 8:28 pm
Wow! This is a great idea. We just got the Wasabi Arugula in & I would never think of this one.
I think for demo one day we mixed it with our Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette and just come Feta and it was pretty great!
June 15, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
Thanks!
It’s fun to see a new product and think about how to use it.
The wasabi arugula is an interesting addition- what did the customers at the demo station think of it?
Speaking of new items…I’m excited about the kale too- another good addition.
June 24, 2011 @ 1:20 pm
What a great way to enjoy pesto! I’m always looking for more pesto variation and this is it for my next one. I am imagining pairing the delicious pesto with seafood. Thank you for the recipe!
June 24, 2011 @ 8:43 pm
Hi Jessica,
Let me know if you try it. Seafood sounds like a great match – I think it would be a great pairing with salmon… or shrimp and pasta. You can also use the regular baby arugula that TJ carries – I love basil pesto, but I also love how fresh and peppery arugula pesto is.
June 30, 2011 @ 11:03 am
It’s a toss up for my fave TJ’s gluten-free products between the gluten-free French Rolls and the mango Lassi. All the products I’ve tried are outstanding, but those two are my fave. Thanks TJ!
July 18, 2011 @ 7:58 pm
I have made an arugula pesto in the past using the usual ingredients, and then adding avocado and red bell pepper for extra creaminess and zing!
July 18, 2011 @ 8:00 pm
Mmm…those sound like great additions, especially the avocado to make it creamy and rich. I’ll definitely try that – thanks!
July 29, 2011 @ 2:32 pm
OK guys! I tried this Wasabi Arugula but to be honest it’s not anything new? Seriously. Go to the grocery store and buy some radishes with their leaves. Now rather than throwing those radish leaves away taste it eat it. They are very close in flavor to the Wasabi Arugula. Seriously! As a kid growing up eating radishes I came to love the flavor of both the radishes and their green leaves. They are so yummy! So anyway these Wasabi Arugula taste just like the green radish leaves that you get for free with your radishes at the grocery store. Try you’ll know what I mean!