Arugula Lemon Pesto Pasta

This arugula lemon pesto pasta recipe is bright, zesty and full of fresh flavor. It’s quick to make and a great addition to any weeknight dinner or summer lunch. The peppery arugula and zesty lemon create a vibrant sauce that’s light and refreshing, making this pesto pasta dish a perfectly balanced meal.

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For pairing with pasta, pesto sauce is an all time favorite. Pesto Genovese with basil and pine nuts will always be a classic and can be used to make this delicious pasta Portofino or as a flavorful spread for prosciutto and pesto pinwheels.

There is no limit to the ingredient combinations you can try for different pesto variations. You can make a nutty, earthy roasted arugula chestnut pesto or turn peppery radish leaves into a vibrant radish greens pesto sauce.

Which ingredients to use

• Pasta: Short pasta works best for pesto. I used fusilli as the spirals catch the pesto nicely. You can use any pasta you like, but shapes with grooves or twists tend to hold the sauce better.
• Arugula: Young and tender leaves provide the best results.
• Lemon: You’ll need both fresh lemon zest and lemon juice. Avoid concentrated bottled lemon juice as it does not have the same flavor profile.
• Pine nuts: I use raw, unsalted pine nuts which break down into a creamier, richer pesto sauce. You can lightly toast them for a deeper, nutty flavor, if desired.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a pungent kick. Start with one clove for a milder flavor and adjust to taste.
• Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil to bring all the ingredients together and enhance the flavor of the pesto.
• Parmesan cheese: Use either Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, preferably in block form and grate it yourself or cut into small pieces. Pre-grated cheese is best avoided as it’s often too powdery and does not deliver the same flavor.
• Salt: You’ll need table salt for boiling the pasta and Kosher salt for making the pesto.

How to make pesto pasta with lemon arugula

Note: All the exact quantities of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Lemon arugula pesto pasta is so easy to make. While the pasta cooks, you can quickly prepare the sauce so the dish is ready in just 15 minutes:

• Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of generously salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Depending on the pasta, this usually takes about 8-9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining, which will be added to the sauce.
• Prepare the pesto ingredients: Peel the garlic. Grate the zest and juice 1 lemon. Finely dice or grate the Parmesan cheese. You can lightly toast the pine nuts for extra flavor, but this is optional.
• Make the pesto sauce: In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, arugula leaves, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice, salt, pine nuts and half the amount of the olive oil. Pulse a few times until just combined. Then turn the blender on low or keep pulsing continuously and slowly add the remaining olive oil until the pesto sauce reaches the preferred consistency. Season to taste.
• Combine the pesto with the pasta: Transfer the pesto sauce in a large bowl or wide pan and add a few tablespoons of pasta water. Stir well to make the sauce more creamy. Add the drained pasta to the pesto sauce with another tablespoon of pasta water and mix to coat well. Add more pasta water if needed.
• Serve: Serve immediately and garnish with one or a combination of toppings like fresh arugula leaves, pine nuts and grated Parmesan.

How to store

This pasta with arugula lemon pesto sauce will keep for about 3 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. Re-heat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Just add a little bit of water and keep stirring until heated through.

Serving suggestions

This pesto pasta recipe can be serve as a dish on its own for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or light lunch. To make it more filling serve with crusty bread or baguette.

It also pairs well with a light salad dish, such as Caprese salad, shaved fennel salad, Little Gem with anchovy or just a light green salad.

Try it with roasted vegetables such as sautéed radish greens, grilled Italian green beans or sautéed garlic mushrooms.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment with rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #thetastychilli and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.