Recipe: Spring Pesto

This recipe is hardly revolutionary; I've heard about subbing spinach or arugula in for basil before. But what does make this revolutionary, at least in my mind, is the idea that it's possible to have pesto in spring. Early spring even! Now, this is a pesto with a bit of a kick thanks to the pepperiness of the arugula. It's not as sweet or licorice-y as pesto with basil, but it does have it's own charm.

It's lovely tossed with warm pasta. To really up the "It's Spring!" quotient, I added peas (frozen, but fresh would be lovely when they are available) to the pasta. It would also be nice to use garlic scapes instead of garlic cloves when they are available. This is also good as a topping for chicken breasts, a baguette...anything...yum...

Ingredients
2 c arugula leaves
1/2 c Parm
1/2 c chopped walnuts (or pine nuts)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 c olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Toast the walnuts (or pine nuts) in a dry skillet until fragrant but not burnt.
2. Combine arugula, parm, walnuts, garlic and salt & pepper in a food processor (or blender). Start up the appliance and stream slowly in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Use as desired.