recipe: arugula pesto

The lettuce in my kitchen garden has been an overwhelming success so far this spring. Our winter was so mild in D.C. that I was able to put the seeds for my cool-season veggies in the ground early, which means Tony and I have been enjoying lettuce for weeks. In fact, we now have more romaine, leaf lettuce, spinach, and arugula than we know what to do with. We have salads almost every night with dinner, and I've shared a lot of it with friends. (Come on over this weekend if you want some!) I've also been making pesto with all of the extra arugula, which Tony says is his new favorite meal.

The beautiful thing about pesto is that it's flexible. No basil? No pine nuts? No problem. Cooking is like an art, so you don't usually have to worry about measurements. And I'm always substituting ingredients for what I actually have in the house. (On the other hand, baking is like a science -- I follow the recipes exactly, lest I end up with a flat cake or a burnt cookie.)

That said, here are some approximate measurements to use as guidelines:

Arugula Pesto

• 1/2 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, and almonds are all yummy)
• 2 cups arugula
• 1/2 cup cheese (try parmesan, mozzarella, or whatever you have on hand) 
• a garlic clove or two
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup cup olive oil

In a frying pan, toast the nuts over medium heat. Transfer the nuts to a food processor and pulse with the arugula, cheese, garlic, and salt. Add the olive oil and puree. Coat your pasta with the pesto and enjoy.