A pile of peppery arugula, nutty parmigiano cheese, and buttery rich pepitas come together in this simple pesto with pumpkin seeds. My version is a hearty autumnal take on a standard springtime sauce!
The first time I made this pumpkin seed pesto, it was out of necessity. I had some arugula that was about to go bad and also an old bag of old pumpkin seeds laying around; leftovers from a freelance recipe development job.
I loved the flavor and texture of it so much that I ended up making it more often than classic basil pesto. We even ended up putting a version of it on the menu at the restaurant I was sous-cheffing in at the time!
Over the years I added to and adjusted my original recipe, tossing in a handful of parsley for an echo of freshness and pinch of coriander for a bump of earthy citrus.
Looking back, I supposed I shouldn't have been so surprised at how much I loved it. At the time, a big ol' arugula salad with mushrooms, roasted pumpkin seeds (shout out to SuperSeedz "Somehwat Spicy" flavor--my favorite!), and a lemon + olive oil dressing was a staple in my meal rotation.
Blended all together, it's no wonder these ingredients make for a magical pesto.
ingredients for pesto with pumpkin seeds
ingredient notes & swaps
- I usually buy pumpkin seeds that are already roasted, but if you get pumpkin seeds that are raw, you can easily toast them yourself. Just scatter them in a dry pan over medium heat and cook for a couple of minutes, tossing occasionally, until nutty and fragrant.
- When a recipe has few ingredients like this pesto, it's extra important to use fresh ingredients like lemon juice and garlic. They will produce a flavor that is far better than if you use bottled lemon juice or the chopped jarred garlic.
- Tailor the amount of salt you add depending on whether or not your pumpkin seeds are already salted. Mine were here, so I added just a pinch more salt. The parmesan will add some saltiness too!
- Using pumpkin seed oil will give you a pesto that has a richer, more pumpkiny flavor. I don't always add it! If I decide to skip it, I just add an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil to compensate.
arugula pesto with pumpkin seeds
A pile of peppery arugula, nutty parmigiano cheese, and buttery rich pepitas come together in this simple pesto with pumpkin seeds. My version is a hearty autumnal take on a standard springtime sauce!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: about 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ cup parsley leaves
- ¾ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 if large)
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil (for extra flavor)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer over medium heat and add the arugula and parsley leaves. Stir and swirl the leaves in the simmering water for about 30 seconds, then remove them to a bowl of ice water and swirl for another 30 seconds to cool quickly.
- Transfer the greens to a fine mesh strainer, then press and drain as much excess water as possible.
- In a food processor combine the toasted pumpkin seeds, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese.
- Blitz the mixture a few times until coarsely combined.
- Add the blanched greens, lemon juice, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Blend for another minute or so until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed to make sure everything is incorporated evenly.
- Add about half of the olive oil and pulse briefly to partially combine.
- With the machine running, slowly stream in the rest of the olive oil. Keep blending until the pesto takes on a smooth and creamy texture and bright green coloring. Stir in the pumpkin seed oil if you're using it. It will taste a bit raw garlicky at this point, so let it sit for 15 minutes then taste it and adjust seasonings as desired. The lemon juice will work to calm down the heat of that raw garlic.
Notes
- It is important to blend your seeds, cheese, greens, and seasonings before adding any oil because olive oil can sometimes turn bitter when blended for too long. As described above, get all of those ingredients mostly broken down and well combined first, then pour in your oil and blend until the pesto smoothes out and just comes together.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: sauce
- Method: food processor
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 123
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 23.6 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.5 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0.9 mg
FAQs
Can I make basil pesto with pumpkin seeds?
Definitely! I like the flavor of arugula + pumpkin seeds in particular, but you can of course use fresh basil to make a basil pumpkin seed pesto instead.
How do you keep pumpkin seed pesto from turning brown?
Since we blanched the greens before making our pesto, we've got a great head start on warding off any oxidation and browning. To protect your pepita pesto even further, pack it into an airtight container, smooth the stop, and the pour a very thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto so that the surface is covered, then seal the lid. The oil will prevent air from getting to the pesto during storage and will stir in easily when you're ready to use it again!
Want some recipes that use other parts of a pumpkin? 🎃 Try my Roasted Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup and then whip up a batch of Pumpkin Spice Blondies for dessert.
dig in!
Enjoy & let me know what you think 🌙 💛
