Arugula Pesto Recipe

I'm currently working on a series on the basics of grilling some common items like chicken breasts, pork chops, and fish. Knowing the fundamentals to get all of those perfect are essential, the only problem is that the bare bones can also be a little drab. To gussy up some great, but simple grilled chicken breasts, I turned to our main pesto recipe, making some changes based on helpful suggestions from Serious Eaters—substituting arugula in place of basil, walnuts in place of pine nuts, and adding a splash of lemon juice.

Readers have never steered me wrong, and this was no exception—it was an incredible pesto. I was expecting a sharp peppery flavor from the arugula, but instead that was tempered and smoothed by the oil and cheese. While arugula and the nutty Parmesan dominated the pesto, the garlic was right behind with a small bite, and the lemon juice lent a pleasant freshness.

This pesto transformed my simple salt-and-pepper chicken breasts into an incredible meal, and I can imagine so much more this sauce could do. You all were so helpful in making this arugula pesto awesome, I bet you'd also have the best suggestions on the greatest ways to use it and would love to hear them in the comments.