Pregnancy Friendly Arugula & Herb Pesto
Bright, peppery arugula and sweet basil come together in this vibrant pesto that feels like a serious upgrade from anything you'd find in a jar. The combination of fresh greens, good olive oil, and a squeeze of real lemon juice makes every spoonful taste alive and garden-fresh. During pregnancy, store-bought pestos can be a source of uncertainty — some contain unpasteurized cheeses or ingredients that are harder to verify — so making your own from scratch puts you fully in control of what goes into the bowl. This recipe keeps things clean and straightforward, leaning on whole, recognizable ingredients that are easy to feel good about. The optional pinch of turmeric adds a gentle golden hue and a subtle earthy note without overpowering the herbs. Toss it with pasta, spread it on toast, swirl it into soups, or use it as a dip — it's endlessly versatile and comes together in just a few pulses of the food processor. Once you have a batch in the fridge, you'll find yourself reaching for it all week long.
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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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