Who doesn't love pesto? Everyone loves pesto. It's so fun to say, even. A Seinfeld episode even began touting the wonders of just saying "pesto.....pesto.....pesto". Exquisite in every way, it can be used as a dip, a spread, a smear on a piece of bread, in a sandwich, over noodles....I wanted to kick it up a notch and use the bounty from our garden.
While most of you will think pesto is a summer food, it’s ALSO one of the best fall foods. Specifically because (1) you must harvest the basil in one big lump sum if the weather turns chili and (2) arugula is healthier than ever this year, since it loves the cooler weather. The parsley is also vibrant green and strongest it’s been since I seeded it. So we get to work! Using mostly whole fats such as pine nuts, not as much olive oil, but loaded with lemon and garlic, this pesto is sure to please everyone. No need for cheese of any kind, since it's loaded with flavor!
I don’t need to tell you, you can easily serve this over regular pasta, but if you happen to get a mid-october heat spell and want something lighter, go for the spiraled zucchini.
2 big handfuls of parsley
one big handful of arugula
1/2 cup basil
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup raw pine nuts
a few pinches of sea salt
Several turns of fresh ground black pepper
olive oil, to thin
In a food processor, process the herbs and lemon juice until everything is roughly chopped. Add in the pine nuts, salt & pepper, and garlic and pulse briefly (garlic turns bitter if processed too much). Drizzle a little olive oil, just enough to thin, and process again briefly. Taste for seasonings. Dress your favorite noodles (mine are raw zucchini noodles, spiralized, using this or this tool). Enjoy!
