Arugula Pesto

There’s so much you can do with a fresh pesto whether it’s basil, mint, chive, or arugula like the one I used over and over again last weekend.  And with a bit of Cuisinart magic they take less than ten minutes to whip up.  I first pulse until fine a generous handful of pine nuts(walnuts or almonds work in a pinch), a large peeled and coarsely chopped garlic clove, and a dash of Kosher Salt.  Use a spatula to scrape the mixture back into the bottom of the Cuisinart before adding a full bag of arugula.  With the cover on I start the Cusinart and drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil through the opening in the lid until the mixture is smooth but not runny.  I recommend that you add the oil slowly and keep checking the consistency…you can always add more oil.  Finally I add a quarter to half a cup of grated parmesan, additional kosher salt to taste, and one more quick pulse to stir it all together. 

I served it with grilled salmon the first night, tossed it with a thinly sliced strip steak for a potluck appetizer the second night, and combined it with some quartered sun gold tomatoes and topped my egg tacos for Sunday brunch.  Even had enough left over to smear on a sliced baguette for an afternoon snack.