Basil and Arugula Pesto

With my sweet basil fading into the autumn and my arugula close to going to seed, I needed a recipe to incorporate and enjoy their deliciously pungent flavors. This is a variation of Mama Tomato's beloved pesto recipe, minus the pine nuts and parmesan cheese (making it vegan).

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups of sweet basil leaves

1 and 1/2 cups of arugula (use young leaves and remove tougher leaf stems)

2/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/8 teaspoon of cumin

Pinch of ground red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in food processor. 

Serve on sliced bread or pasta.

We took the finished product to Mama and Papi Tomato's for dinner and it was a spicy addition to hearty minestrone soup. Hubby spread it on his bread (adding parmesan cheese of course) and drizzled it in his soup for an extra kick. Speaking of extra kick, I was worried that the pesto would be too spicy. It was spicy and strong, but wonderfully flavorful. I recommend for garlic and arugula lovers and adventurous foodies!

Arugula is on the right.

Spent basil

Tools of the trade

The final result!