Arugula Pesto with Brown Rice Penne

Two words: easy and delicious. Four more: leafy greens and gluten free.

Pesto is one of life's little delights, but getting fresh basil at its peak of flavor year-round is not an option for most of us. Fortunately, arugula makes a nutritious, delicious stand-in and you can buy it almost year-round. It keeps in the fridge longer than basil, and it's loaded with calcium, potassium, folate (a B vitamin,) and vitamins C, K, and A. It's anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, muscle, nerve, and tissue-healing, and makes you rich and famous.

Rich in health and famous for eating your leafy greens, that is. :)

ARUGULA PESTO WITH BROWN RICE PENNE

Serves 1-2

Pesto:

¼ cup toasted pine nuts (brown in a dry skillet over medium heat)

½ clove garlic

½ tsp sea salt

4-6 cups baby arugula

¼ cup olive oil

Black pepper, to taste

1 cup brown rice penne per serving, or more if you want a big bowl of it (Feel free to use any pasta you like, gluten free or not)

 

Method:

Start water boiling for pasta. Sprinkle in salt and a dash of olive oil, if desired.

Pulse pine nuts, garlic, and salt in a small food processor or blender until finely ground. Add arugula, pulse a few times to chop it down. (Stop and push the leaves down onto the blades with a spatula if needed.) Add olive oil in a thin stream with the processor running, until you have a bright green paste. Don’t over-blend or the arugula will get dark and weird (but probably still taste good. :))

Cook pasta according to package directions. (I recommend dipping out a half cup of the pasta water toward the end in case the pesto seems too thick to coat the pasta evenly, but you can always just use tap water if you forget.) Drain the pasta, and toss with the pesto. Splash on a little water if needed to “loosen” the pesto and make it coat your noodles. Taste and adjust the salt if need be.

Sprinkle on black pepper to finish, and enjoy!