Honey Free Arugula & Herb Pesto
Bright, peppery arugula teams up with fragrant basil to create a pesto that feels fresher and more vibrant than anything you'd pull off a grocery store shelf. The combination of those two greens gives the sauce a bold, slightly bitter edge that pairs beautifully with the brightness of fresh lemon juice and the richness of good extra-virgin olive oil. A touch of turmeric is optional, but it adds a warm golden hue and a subtle earthiness that makes the whole thing feel a little more special. Many store-bought pestos and condiments sneak in sweeteners you might not expect, so blending your own from scratch puts you fully in control of every ingredient. The food processor does all the heavy lifting here — a few pulses, a slow drizzle of olive oil, and you're done. Toss it with pasta, spread it on flatbread, or spoon it over roasted vegetables; this sauce is endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to stop eating.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh arugula, packed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the arugula, basil, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the greens are coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
- 2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube and process until the pesto is mostly smooth with a slightly textured consistency, about 20–30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
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