Arugula & Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Time
10 Min
Serves
8
Published June 24, 2024 by Dr. Stephanie Gray, DC
This post may contain affiliate links.
Always make your own pesto. Never buy store bought. Why? Factory made pesto is always made with bleached, deodorized and refined seed oils (soybean, canola, safflower or cottonseed oil) which cause cellular damage. There is increasing evidence that these industrial seed oils are bad for your health.
Plus, making pesto at home is so easy, cheaper and tastes way better!
Pestos are an easy way to elevate any dish. It can be eaten on just about anything. Chicken, fish, vegetables, rice, pasta. Have chicken and not sure what to do with it? Brush pesto on it. Have spiralized zucchini? Pour pesto on it and now it’s an amazingly tasty “pasta” dish. Super easy. All you need is a food processor or high speed blender. See my list of different ways to enjoy pesto below.
I also love pesto because it’s a great place to stuff leafy greens. This recipe calls for arugula but you could easily sub spinach or kale. We all know leafy greens are good for us. Not all of us love our greens and not everybody loves to eat salad everyday. Pesto is a great way to hide your leafy greens. (Read more about what science tells us about leafy greens below)
This pesto is also nut free and dairy free. Traditional pesto is made with nuts (pine nuts or walnuts) and cheese (parmesan).
You will love this Arugula & Pumpkin Seed Pesto made with real food. It’s visually appealing with it’s beautiful green colour.
Gluten free, grain free, nut free, dairy free, vegan/plant-based, low carb, paleo & keto. This recipe ticks all the boxes!
For other great dinner ideas, check out these other recipes:
Stir Fry on Cauliflower Rice with Almond Butter Sauce
Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk
12 Minute Broiler Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
9 ways to enjoy this Arugula & Pumpkin Seed Pesto
- Salad Dressing: Mix with some olive oil or yogurt for a delicious salad dressing.
- Dip: Serve with veggies, gluten-free crackers or chips.
- Roasted Veggies: Toss with veggies before roasting.
- Eggs: Mix into scrambled eggs or drizzle over an omelet
- Soup garnish: Swirl a spoonful into soups for extra flavour
- Sandwich Spread: Spread on gluten-free bread or wrap for a flavourful twist.
- Pizza: Use as a base sauce instead of tomato sauce.
- Pasta: Toss it with any gluten-free pasta.
- On Chicken or Portabello Mushrooms: Spread pesto over chicken breasts or portobello mushrooms before baking or grilling.
How to Store this Arugula & Pumpkin Seed Pesto?
Store leftovers in a tight glass container or mason jar. Must be refrigerated. Eat within 7 days. Stir before use as ingredients will settle.
Freezes well for 3 months.
Science Strongly Supports Eating Leafy Greens for Your DNA
We all know that leafy greens are good for us. But why the fuss? Leafy greens are literally the best thing for your DNA. Leafy greens (and other veggies) add chemical tags (called methyl groups) to your DNA that turn genes OFF. It’s a complex process called methylation and it inhibits gene expression. If you have a gene for cancer- you don’t want that gene read. You want methylation to inhibit reading of that gene.
Here’s an easy example to help this make sense. Smoking can decrease methylation on a gene called AHRR. Not smoking, increases methylation of that gene, reducing cancer risk. Scientists are working to better understand the factors that affect DNA methylation but we do know that diet plays a huge role in how genes are expressed. Long story short, eat your leafy greens!
Arugula Pumpkin Seed Pesto- Nut free & Dairy free
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast sub parmesan (not dairy free)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon juiced or 3 tbsp bottled
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor.
- Process until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Spinach and Basil Pesto
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts or sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or parmesean
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1/3 cup olive oil added slowly
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, add all ingredients except olive oil. Process for about 1 minute.
- Slowly add olive oil while the machine is going. Process until all ingredients are nicely mixed together.
Notes
Nutrition
I’m a doctor of chiropractic, with a special interest in nutrition. I am passionate about healthy eating and using food to heal thyself. Food should be made in a kitchen not a factory. I believe in eating whole foods, keeping processed foods to a minimum. It is my goal to show you that eating healthy and cooking at home can be simple and very rewarding! All of my recipes are gluten-free. Some are ketogenic or paleo friendly.