Arugula Green Pea Pesto

Arugula green pea pesto, the combo you never knew you needed. I’ve been on a pesto kick lately and this really satisfies my cravings. I was worried the arugula flavor would be too much, but it just adds a nice mild flavor to the pesto. I mean you can’t make pesto without basil so there is still a good cup of basil in here! Enjoy this pesto overtop a bowl of your favorite pasta. Use your leftover arugula to add a watermelon, arugula and goat cheese salad on the side.

No parm? No problem.

I decided to make this pesto vegan (no parm), but by adding nutritional yeast, the cheesy flavor is still there. Nutritional yeast is truly a magic ingredient in so many dishes. I use it in my vegan macaroni and cheese and cauliflower, roasted garlic & sun-dried tomato pasta.  It’s a healthier alternative to satisfy your cheesy cravings.

I also used sunflower seeds in the arugula green pea pesto.  I opted for sunflower seeds instead of nuts for a few reasons! Pesto usually contains pine nuts which can be somewhat expensive, and/or hard to find. Also, sunflower seeds are not a nut, so people with nut allergies can often look towards sunflowers for a nut substitute. I’ve heard concerns from people with nut allergies about the difficulties of going vegan due to recipes with nuts. I will say that I do use nuts in my recipes (especially cashews to add a creamy texture), but I want to incorporate nut-free recipes into my blog as well. That being said PLEASE let me know if you have any special requests for recipes.

The How-To

Arugula green pea pesto is such an easy recipe.  Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Add pesto to your favorite pasta, toast or roasted veggies.  I love how fresh it tastes.  There is truly nothing like pesto during the summer season.  This recipe makes about 12 oz of pesto (1.5 cups). I will use this entire amount for 1 lb of pasta. I like to store mine in a mason jar and top if off with a thin layer of olive oil. The olive oil creates a layer of protection on top of the pesto to help keep it fresh if not used immediately. 

As always, let me know when you make my arugula green pea pesto. Please comment below and rate my recipe.  I appreciate your feedback because it helps me learn and develop better recipes.  Have a great day & happy eating!

Arugula Green Pea Pesto

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Emily Toshiko
• Prep Time: 15
• Total Time: 15
• Yield: 12 oz 1x

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Description

Arugula green pea pesto, the combo you never knew you needed! This recipe is simple, fresh & tasty.

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup arugula
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup basil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• ¼ + ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Add the arugula, peas, basil, garlic, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil (save the other ¼ cup), salt and pepper to a food processor or blender.
2. As the pesto is blending, slowly drizzle in the other ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil until your pesto is smooth. Enjoy!

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Notes

• Remember to thaw out your frozen peas 🙂
• This makes enough pesto for 1 lb of pasta.

Keywords: arugula green pea pesto