An easy twist on basil pesto made with baby arugula! Bright, peppery in flavor, and affordable to make, this arugula pesto pasta is a great weeknight dinner for every season. Topped with garlicky breadcrumbs, this elegant pasta will quickly become a favorite! This recipe yields one cup of homemade pesto, which will generously coat at least 1 lb of cooked dried pasta.
Ingredients
Garlicky Breadcrumbs:
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
1cupsourdough breadcrumbs
1garlic clovevery finely minced
kosher saltto taste
freshly ground black pepperto taste
Arugula Pesto Pasta:
3-4large garlic cloves
5ouncesbaby arugula
3tablespoonstoasted pine nutsplus more for garnishing
1tsplemon juice
½cupextra virgin olive oil
⅓cupfinely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
plus more for serving
kosher saltto taste
freshly ground black pepperto taste
12ouncesdried pasta*I recommend bronze-cut rigatoni, fusilli, trofie, farfalle, or spaghetti
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Prepare the Garlicky Breadcrumbs: Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and toast for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they are golden and crispy. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for an additional 30 seconds or so. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Prepare Arugula Pesto: Pulse the garlic cloves in a large food processor until finely minced. Add the arugula, pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pulse until mostly smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta in a colander. Transfer the pasta back to the same pot, add the arugula pesto, grated parmigiano cheese, and toss until evenly coated - adding a couple splashes of pasta cooking water as necessary.
Serve the arugual pesto pasta with a sprinkling of garlicky breadcrumbs. Top with additional toasted pine nuts (as desired) and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.