Arugula and Cashew Pesto

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that the first time I ever even had Arugula was last year.  Before then, I did the majority of my shopping in supermarkets and I have NEVER seen Arugula there.  Needless to say that once I tasted it...I LOVED IT!  However, I had no idea what to do with it.   One of my friends suggested a pesto with Arugula and Walnuts.  We tried that and liked it, but I am just not a big fan of walnuts.  This year we bought a big bunch of Arugula with the plans to make up the pesto and freeze it for later use.  I also decided to try something a little different, and that is when I opted for Cashews.

Arugula and Cashew Pesto
Arugula (I used two large bags)
Cashews (roasted and salted, about 1 cup)
garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
olive oil (about 1/4 - 1/2 cup)
Parmesan Cheese ((1/4 - 1/2 cup)
Salt, Pepper

  When you make this you can vary the amounts to fit your taste.  I simply added everything except about 1/2 of the olive oil to my food processor.  I drizzled in the remaining olive oil until I got to the consistency that I was looking for.  I spooned about 1/3 cup into zip-top bags and then put them in the freezer.  You can thaw them quickly by putting them in a bowl of hot tap-water. 

   This came out GREAT.  To me, the walnuts were a little too bitter in combination with the bitterness of the Arugula.  The Cashews brought a nice nuttiness as well as a richness that went much better with the spicy Arugula.  I can't wait to try this on some pasta with a little squeeze of lemon Juice.  I also plan to use some of it with some pork loin.  I like to cut the loin so as to "unroll" it, cover it with a thick layer of pesto an then roll it back up and tie it.  Give it a good grillin' and it will be fantastic.  I'll let you know how that one comes out.  Maybe I will make that next week!