Sesame Free Vegan Lemon Arugula Pesto
Bright, peppery, and packed with fresh flavor, this arugula pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on absolutely everything. Toasted pine nuts bring a buttery richness, while a hit of lemon juice and zest keeps things lively and vibrant. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy depth you'd expect from a classic pesto — no dairy required. Every single ingredient here is naturally free from sesame, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved. The food processor does most of the work, and that slow drizzle of olive oil at the end is what gives the sauce its silky, cohesive texture with just enough rustic bite. Toss it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, or spoon it over roasted vegetables — it's endlessly versatile and comes together in minutes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 3 cups packed fresh arugula
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Combine the toasted pine nuts, arugula, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped.
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