Arugula Pesto

Arugula pesto is very nutritious and easy to make with just a few ingredients: arugula, garlic, evoo, lemon juice. Serve with meats or fish. Or, stir it into mashed cauliflower or scrambled eggs. Best of all, arugula is a leafy green that has a Nutrivore Score of 2019 making it a super nutrient dense food with only 5 calories per cup. So, this is a simple way to get more leafy greens on our plates (besides eating a salad). And, we’ve boosted the nutrition of this pesto even more by adding lot’s of garlic.

Featured Ingredients

Arugula (aka rocket) is a super nutrient-dense food rich in phytonutrients (especially glucosinolates and carotenoids), vitamin K, and folate. Glucosinolates are sulfur-containing compounds that break down into bioactive isothiocyanates and indoles – compounds that are absolute rock stars as far as human health is concerned!

Garlic is the top food source of thiosulfinates, which are sulfur-containing compounds responsible for diverse health benefits including powerful anticancer properties as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-thrombotic effects.

Olive oil is consistently linked with health benefits, including reducing cardiovascular disease risk (both heart disease and stroke), Alzheimer’s risk, and cancer risk, improving blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity, reducing likelihood of weight gain (and maybe even aid in weight loss), reducing joint pain and swelling in rheumatoid arthritis, and generally reduce markers of inflammation.

Arugula Nutrients

Garlic Nutrients

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Nutrients

Arugula Pesto

Nutrivore Score: 491

Prep Time 4 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 45kcal

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Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh arugula
• 6 cloves garlic unpeeled
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Heat a non-stick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic still in the peel to the pan.  Stir or shake the pan frequently so the garlic rotates and cooks on all side.  Cook until garlic is starting to brown and is feeling fairly soft to touch, about 7-8 minutes.
• Let garlic cool, then peel.  Place in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients.  Pulse until it’s a paste. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Arugula Pesto

Amount per Serving

Calories

45

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

5

g

8

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Sodium

 

2

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

31

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

 

1

g

0

%

Fiber

 

0.1

g

0

%

Sugar

 

0.2

g

0

%

Protein

 

0.3

g

1

%

Vitamin A

 

158

IU

3

%

Vitamin C

 

2

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

13

mg

1

%

Iron

 

0.1

mg

1

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.