This nut-free, arugula basil pesto comes together in just 5 minutes! Sweet summertime basil and peppery arugula are paired with zesty lemon juice, cheesy nutritional yeast and the surprising ingredient of green peas to create a fresh and creamy healthy vegan pesto.
Note: This recipe was originally published on Aug 10, 2020. It was republished with updated photos including helpful step-by-step instructions on July 5, 2024. .
Pesto is an Italian paste traditionally made using fresh basil, lemon, parmesan and pine nuts. This arugula pesto recipe has a fun twist by adding green peas which adds more protein as well as a creamy element. I opted to make this pesto vegan by using nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese. I also swapped out the traditional pine nuts for sunflower seeds making this recipe completely nut-free as well!
This arugula pesto pasta (or rocket pesto) is an easy summer dinner to make when you have an abundance of basil (especially if you have a garden). This 5-minute pesto is best served over a pound of pasta, and pairs well with an appetizer of cold cucumber gazpacho and a refreshing lemon basil martini.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Nutritional yeast, also known as nooch, allows this recipe to be dairy-free without sacrificing any flavor. Nooch is a great source of protein and vitamins such as vitamin B12!
- This nut-free, dairy-free pesto has so many uses! It can act as a sauce, spread or dip. Try adding it to summer squash pasta, eggplant sandwiches, crostini appetizers and more!
- You can make pesto in just a few minutes! If you're turning this into a meal simply blend the pesto ingredients together and cook the pasta. It’s truly a 15 minute meal!
Equipment Notes
You will need a food processor, blender or immersion blender. If you don’t have any of these, pesto can be made by hand using a mortar and pestle but it will be more labor intensive!
Ingredient Notes
- Arugula - this leafy green adds a nice peppery flavor the the vegan pesto.
- Green peas - you can use fresh or frozen peas. If you are using frozen peas make sure they are thawed before blending. Green peas add a creamy element when blended and they are a good source of plant-based protein.
- Basil - vibrant green basil is the epitome of summer flavors. It’s herbaceous and sweet which complements the peppery arugula.
- Garlic - adds a necessary bite to the pesto. Add as much or as little as you prefer.
- Sunflower seeds - look for roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds. I usually find them near the nuts in the grocery store. I recommend using fresh seeds as they can go rancid after they have been opened for a while.
- Nutritional yeast - adds the delicious “cheesy” flavor even though it is vegan. I love using nooch in my recipes especially in my nut-free vegan parmesan!
- Lemon juice - make sure to use juice from fresh lemons, rather than the bottled stuff! Fresh lemon juice is better in quality and makes the pesto taste zingy.
- Extra virgin olive oil - you will need ¼ cup to ½ cup depending on the consistency you want in the pesto. I recommend using a good quality olive oil for this as its flavor will shine through!
- Spices - keep it simple with just sea salt and black pepper.
Substitutions and Variations
- Spicy - add in ¼ tablespoon to ½ tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- Peas - you can omit the peas if desired but I recommend giving it a try if you can!
- Without basil - add in another cup of arugula to make this pesto without basil. It will change the flavor making it more peppery due to the extra arugula.
- Vegan Parmesan - top of the pesto pasta with homemade vegan parmesan!
Step by Step Instructions
Add the arugula, green peas, basil, minced garlic, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender.
Pulse until broken down. It will still be a bit chunky.
Drizzle in ¼ cup to ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil while blending, until the desired consistency is reached. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.
Serve as a pesto sauce on pasta, spread on sandwiches, or a dip!
Hint: I like to mince or grate the garlic before I add it to my food processor. If you have a high-powered processor or blender it is probably not necessary. My food processor is not that strong so I like to mince it ahead of time so I know it will be evenly distributed.
Tips and Tricks
If you’re using frozen peas make sure to take them out of the freezer to thaw for a few hours before making the dairy-free pesto. If you forget (it happens to the best of us), simply run the peas under warm water for a minute.
What to Serve with Arugula Pesto:
Here are a few suggestions of how you can enjoy creamy arugula pesto:
- Mix the arugula sauce into a pound of pasta such as cavatappi to make arugula pesto pasta.
- Serve the pesto on fried eggs or Just Egg (vegan) for breakfast.
- Spread vegan pesto on crostini crackers with tomatoes.
- Stir in a dollop of pesto to creamy broccoli zucchini soup.
Storing and Freezing
Store nut-free pesto in an airtight container or jar and top it 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 and vibrant, preventing it from discoloration. Store the pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can freeze the pesto in airtight tupperware, ziplock bags or in an ice cube tray (for smaller servings). The pesto will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. It is a great idea to freeze the arugula pesto during the summer at the height of the basil season. Then you can still enjoy the fresh summertime flavors later on in the year.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I don’t recommend using the thicker stems in this pesto recipe. The smaller stems just off the leaf should be fine to use, but the ticker stems may be more difficult to blend and contain bitter flavors.
Yes! This nut-free pesto uses sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, which are often used in pesto. I decided to use sunflower seeds instead of nuts for a few reasons. Reason number one: pesto usually contains pine nuts which can be somewhat expensive, and/or hard to find. Reason number two: sunflower seeds are not a nut, therefore people with nut allergies can often use sunflowers as a nut substitute. I’ve heard concerns from people with nut allergies about the difficulties of going vegan due to recipes with nuts so I created this vegan AND nut-free pesto recipe.
Yes you can make arugula pesto using only arugula. You can follow this recipe but simply omit the green peas and basil. Add in another cup of arugula and you’ve got yourself an arugula pesto. This will be a lot more peppery in flavor and you may need to add more lemon juice, nutritional yeast or salt to help balance the flavors to your liking.
More Recipes Featuring Basil:
Arugula Basil Pesto
Equipment
- Food Processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup arugula (packed into cup)
- ¾ cup peas (thawed if frozen)
- 1 cup basil (packed into cup)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds (unsalted)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the arugula, green peas, basil, minced garlic, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender.
- Pulse until broken down. It will still be a bit chunky but that's okay.
- Drizzle in ¼ cup to ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil while blending, until the desired consistency is reached. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.
- Serve pesto with pasta, spread it on sandwiches or use it as a dip.
Notes
- This amount of pesto will go well with 1 pound of pasta. I like to serve it with cavatappi pasta! Use pesto as a pasta sauce, spread or dip!
- Store nut-free pesto in an airtight container or jar and top it 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 and vibrant, preventing it from discoloration. Store the pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- You can freeze the pesto in airtight tupperware, ziplock bags or in an ice cube tray (for smaller servings). The pesto will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. It is a great idea to freeze the arugula pesto during the summer at the height of the basil season. Then you can still enjoy the fresh summertime flavors later on in the year.
Will says
The recipe was easy to make and great tasting! I thoroughly enjoyed the meal!
Emily Toshiko says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Adele says
This is an easy and delicious summer dish! The green veggies make it so light and healthy. The sunflower seeds and nooch add a nice nutty flavor. The lemon and garlic add brightness without being too strong! The recipe makes enough to add to a pound of pasta! I used spirals, bow ties would work well too.
It’s corn season here, so I served it with local corn on the cob!
Love this recipe!
Emily Toshiko says
Thanks for trying out this recipe and leaving a review! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it! I love how easy it is to throw together and using the spiral pasta sounds delicious. 🙂
Aleta Sinclair says
Wow, wow, wow!!
This recipe is amazingly delicious. I can't believe that these ingredients together created such a joyous dish. I just put it over pasta. I made some with purple basil and with green basil and will do a taste test when visiting my kids in Oneonta next week. I froze them.
I have enjoyed all the recipes I have tried from your blog. Your talent of blending ingredients to make delicious meals is inspired. Thank you!
Emily Toshiko says
Hi Aleta, thank you so much for the kind words! This comment has made my day. 🙂 I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the arugula basil pesto so much. I love that you're going to try it with purple basil - I think it will be delicious. Enjoy your visit!
Cathy Brackett says
Phenomenal pesto! The flavor of this pesto is wonderful. I have made it with roasted walnuts as well, but the sunflower seeds adds a little more. This recipe is a keeper!
Emily Toshiko says
Thank you so much! I'm happy you enjoyed it. Walnuts are a great subsite if you can't find sunflower seeds. 🙂
Michael Grady says
Easy to prepare with an Excellent flavor profile. We enjoyed it greatly and it is a definite keeper of a recipe in the Grady household.
Emily Toshiko says
Thank you so much for the review 🙂 I'm happy you all enjoyed it!!