fridge cleanout arugula pesto

This pesto is vegan, creamy, and most importantly, delicious! We ate it on pesto chicken sandwiches and rigatoni. It’s perfect for using up the wilty greens hidden in the back of your fridge. For me, that was arugula, but you could try it with other greens if you have those on hand! Spinach and kale would both work well here. This recipe is scrappy. I used almond butter because I had no actual nuts to use (walnuts would have been great!), and I used the arugula because it was dying. I wanted it to be dairy-free, so I didn’t add Parmesan cheese, but you could if you wanted to!

ingredients

• Arugula is amazing, full stop. But in pesto? Its peppery flavor is tamed a little by the other ingredients and it just blends into a great sauce.
• Olive oil is a necessary pesto ingredient. Making pesto without it? Nope, not acceptable.
• Almond butter is used in place of other nuts. Use an almond butter with no sugar added. The ingredients should just be almonds, and maybe salt and a little oil. Nothing else.
• Garlic is essential in any pesto.
• Salt helps tie everything together. If you’re unsure of the salt’s impact, taste it before and after adding it. You’ll see firsthand!

how to make fridge cleanout arugula pesto

step one

Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until fully combined. It will have a thick, creamy consistency, almost like peanut (or almond!) butter.

step two

Taste test! Try a little to make sure it tastes how you’d like. If it doesn’t, adjust, blend it up, and taste it again. Repeat until it’s exactly how you’d like it.

step three

Once it tastes how you’d like, put it in a storage container and pop it into the fridge. This is best enjoyed right away, but you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week. The longer you store it, the less fresh it will taste. If you aren’t using it right away, cover the top of the pesto with a layer of olive oil. This will help seal some of the freshness in. The olive oil may congeal, but that’s fine! When you’re ready to use it, give it a good stir.

fridge cleanout arugula pesto

This pesto is vegan, creamy, and most importantly, delicious! We ate it on pesto chicken sandwiches and rigatoni. It’s perfect for using up the wilty greens hidden in the back of your fridge. For me, that was arugula, but you could try it with other greens if you have those on hand! Spinach and kale would both work well here. This recipe is scrappy. I used almond butter because I had no actual nuts to use (walnuts would have been great!), and I used the arugula because it was dying. I wanted it to be dairy-free, so I didn’t add Parmesan cheese, but you could if you wanted to!

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Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Sauces

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

  

• 5 oz. package of arugula
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup almond butter
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• Salt to taste (I used ½ teaspoon)

Instructions

 

• Dump all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until combined. It should have a thick, creamy consistency.
• Taste test! Try a bit to make sure it tastes yummy. Does it need a bit more salt? If so, add a little more and blend again. Repeat until it tastes how you like it.
• Once it tastes great, place in a storage container. This is best enjoyed immediately, but you can refrigerate for up to a week. The longer you store it, the less fresh it will taste.

Keyword pantry meal, pesto, vegan