Arugula Walnut Pesto with Fresh Pasta

 For a peppery twist, update your pesto recipe with a new classic: arugula and walnut!
Serve tossed over fresh pasta or rubbed on toasty bread with a ribbon of Parmesan, a delicious topping for pizza or a beautiful frittata with a dollop of arugula pesto! Pesto with endless possibilities...

I love using arugula, rocket or ruccola (depending on where you're from), not only for the peppery kick but also because it grows much faster & heartier in our garden than basil. Which means we can make it over & over again!!

Arugula Walnut Pesto

pesto di ruccola

2 big handfuls of arugula, cleaned
1-2 cloves garlic
small handful of walnuts, crushed
extra virgin olive oil*, as needed
lemon juice of half - 1 full lemon
small handful parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper to taste

With this recipe you play with the amount of ingredients based on your likes & the strength of the garlic, arugula, etc.

Best to use a mortar & pestle but if you don’t have one the food processor works just fine.

In the mortal & pestle or the processor start off with your arugula and a drizzle of oil to get it working. Once pulverized add in 1 clove of garlic & continue to grind. Now add in your nuts, lemon juice and a bit of salt & pepper & give it one more grind. At this point abandon the mortal & pestle or the machine & dump the mixture into a bowl.
Add a small handful of cheese and while continuously mixing add in the olive oil until you achieve your desired consistency. For crostini I would leave as a paste, for a pasta sauce keep it a bit looser - this is all based on the amount of olive oil you use.

Now recheck your seasonings - more garlic? A little light on the acid? Add a squeeze of lemon. Is it flat? A pinch of salt will wake it up. Let sit for an hour or so to let the flavors incorporate. Store in the fridge. It will last a few days before the arugula will turn.

Serve tossed over fresh pasta or rubbed over toasty bread with a ribbon of parmesan, a delicious topping for pizza or a beautiful frittata with a dollop of arugula pesto! There are a million ways to use this - enjoy!

*Note on olive oil: Use a lighter/mild oil as to not over power the arugula.

Fresh Radishes with Olive Oil + Wedge of Pecorino

 

The crisp, peppery flavor of fresh picked radishes pair perfectly with a wedge of creamy pecorino (sheep's milk) cheese and a dish of extra virgin olive oil with a few cracks of salt. Done. This is my kinda snack (or antipasto),  I could crunch on that all night with a few glasses of sparkling Verdicchio DOC to wash it down...

So, what's so great about radishes anyway? 

Radishes are an edible root that are easy to grow & are ready to eat within about a month of planting.  Radishes are a low calorie vegetable that have no fat or cholesterol. Considering how small they are, radishes have quite a high vitamin count (in particular vitamin C) and packed with fiber. They are also known to help fight colon cancer. Despite having positive benefits on health, many people pass radishes over at the market without second thought - perhaps next time you'll pick up a bundle & enjoy! (Here's a quick & easy recipe: Radish, Cucumber & Chive Salad)

fresh picked from our garden