Arugula and Parsley Pesto Sauce

Who doesn’t love a good pesto? Sometimes too much of a good thing can sneak up upon us.  There’s so much oil in traditional pesto recipes that I always feel guilty when I’m pouring it into my food processor.

I do try to use less and lately have used vegetable broth in place of the oil.  If you can’t bear the thought of removing all of the oil, think about using half oil and half broth.  It’s still a luscious sauce with the typical additions of garlic and cheese.  However, in this recipe I replaced the traditional pine nuts with walnuts.  In most cases I use walnuts just because I like their meatier texture and they are less expensive.

And the walnut stands up well to the peppery arugula and grassy parsley in this blended green mix.  If arugula isn’t your thing, kale and spinach would be good additions too. And of course there is basil…soon to be in season.

Recipe – Makes about a 1/2 cup of pesto

1/2 garlic clove

2 handfuls of arugula

1 handful of parsley

1/4 cup of walnut halves

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

1/4 – 1/2 cup of vegetable broth

Pinch of salt, optional

Place garlic clove in food processor and blend.  Add arugula, parsley, walnut halves and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Add 1/4 cup of broth and pulse. Add more broth for desired consistency. Taste pesto, add salt if needed.