Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Capers
Pasta with arugula pesto and capers is a no-cook sauce recipe where peppery fresh arugula, toasted walnuts, garlic, lemon, olive oil and nutritional yeast are blended smooth, then tossed with hot pasta and briny capers. It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, and it is naturally vegan and easy to make gluten-free.
Capers are one of those ingredients you either love or hate, and I am firmly in the love camp. They are like tiny salty pickles, sour and sharp, and I have never understood why some people steer clear of them (my parents included). In this arugula pesto pasta they cut through the richness of the walnuts and oil so perfectly that I now consider them non-negotiable.
Arugula itself was a slow love story for me. For years I only ate it once or twice a year, usually when eating out, and I always thought it was a bit overpriced for what it really is. Then I found a pack at a more decent price, decided to give it a real try at home, and fell in love with it. I have since put it in pizzas, in hummus, and now in this pesto, and I just cannot get enough. If you like arugula as much as I do, you will adore this recipe.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A light, fresh meal for a hot summer day when you do not want to cook anything beyond boiling pasta.
- A fast weeknight dinner that is ready in roughly the time the pasta takes to cook.
- A vegan dish that still tastes rich and savory, thanks to walnuts and nutritional yeast instead of cheese.
- An easy way to use up a bunch of fresh arugula before it wilts in the fridge.
- A naturally gluten-free pasta dish, as long as you reach for gluten-free pasta.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No cooking the sauce. The pesto is raw and blended in seconds, so the arugula keeps its peppery bite and bright green color.
- Naturally dairy-free. Nutritional yeast and toasted walnuts bring the savory, cheesy depth that Parmesan usually does, with no dairy at all.
- Bright and balanced. Lemon juice and briny capers keep the whole plate light and fresh instead of heavy.
- Ready fast. The sauce is done before the pasta finishes boiling, so dinner lands on the table in minutes.
- Easy to make gluten-free. The recipe was built around gluten-free pasta, so it works for celiac and gluten-sensitive eaters without any other changes.
- Flexible. The pesto base welcomes whatever nuts or greens you have on hand.
Ingredient Notes
Fresh arugula is the star, so quality matters. Look for perky, deep-green leaves with no yellowing or slimy spots, and use it while it is fresh and lively. Smaller, younger leaves are milder; larger, more mature leaves are more peppery and assertive, which I happen to love in this pesto. Three cups packed is what gives the sauce its color and bite.
Capers are the briny punch that makes this dish. Both the small nonpareil capers and the larger ones work, but give them a quick rinse if they are very salty, especially the salt-packed kind. They go in whole at the end rather than into the blender, so you get little bursts of salt and tang in every few bites.
Walnuts stand in for the pine nuts of a classic pesto, and toasting them is the step you should not skip. A few minutes in a dry pan over medium heat until they smell nutty deepens their flavor and tames any bitterness. You know they are ready when they turn fragrant and just slightly golden at the edges.
Garlic brings sharpness, and two raw cloves is plenty since it is not cooked. If you find raw garlic too aggressive, use one clove or a smaller one. The lemon and oil soften its edge as everything blends together.
Extra virgin olive oil carries the pesto and emulsifies it into a smooth sauce. Because it is uncooked, its flavor really shows, so use a good fruity oil you would be happy to taste on its own.
Lemon juice is the brightness that keeps the sauce from feeling heavy. Always use freshly squeezed rather than bottled; the difference in a raw sauce like this is obvious.
Nutritional yeast is what makes a dairy-free pesto taste savory and almost cheesy. It has a mellow, nutty, umami quality, and two tablespoons is enough to round out the sauce without overpowering the arugula.
Gluten-free pasta is what I used, and tagliatelle or any long shape holds the pesto beautifully. Cook it just to al dente and watch it closely, since gluten-free pasta can go from firm to mushy quickly.
Tips
- Toast the walnuts first. Skipping this is the most common way to end up with a flat, slightly bitter pesto. A dry pan and a few minutes is all it takes, and you will smell when they are done.
- Salt the pasta water well. It is your one chance to season the pasta itself. The capers and nutritional yeast are salty, so taste the finished sauce before adding more salt.
- Toss while the pasta is hot. Warm pasta loosens the pesto and helps it coat every strand. If it looks tight or clumpy, loosen it with a splash of the starchy pasta cooking water.
- Blend just until smooth. Over-blending can warm the arugula and dull its bright green color, so stop as soon as the sauce comes together.
- Hold the capers out of the blender. Stirring them in whole at the end keeps those little bursts of brine intact instead of muddying the pesto.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the nuts. Pine nuts, almonds or sunflower seeds all work in place of walnuts; toast whichever you use for the best flavor.
- Mix the greens. If straight arugula is too peppery for you, blend it half and half with basil or baby spinach for a milder pesto.
- Skip the capers. If you are in the capers-hating camp, leave them out; the pasta is still good, just less briny. A few olives are a fine swap for a similar salty hit.
- Use regular pasta. If you do not need it gluten-free, any wheat pasta works just as well with this sauce.
Storage and Make Ahead
The arugula pesto is the perfect make-ahead component. Blend it up to two or three days in advance and keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge, with a thin film of olive oil on top to slow any browning. Then all you have to do at dinnertime is boil the pasta and toss. Leftover dressed pasta keeps in the fridge for about two days; it is best at room temperature or gently warmed, since reheating too hard can dull the fresh arugula.
If you love this kind of quick, fresh pasta, try my oyster mushroom spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce or the cozy vegan lasagna with mushrooms. And since this pesto started my arugula obsession, the light and fresh lemony hummus is another spot where I love to sneak in those peppery leaves.
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Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Capers
Ingredients
- 200 g gluten-free pasta
- 2 Tbsps capers
Arugula Pesto:
- 3 cups fresh arugula
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup walnuts toasted
- 3 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsps lemon juice
- 2 Tbsps nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the pasta following the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Drain.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, then add them with the rest of the arugula pesto ingredients to your food processor and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add the arugula pesto and stir in the capers whole. Toss everything together to coat.
- Serve with a few fresh arugula leaves on top.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Arugula pesto is peppery and slightly spicy compared to a classic basil pesto, with a fresh, green bite. The toasted walnuts add richness, the lemon brings brightness, and nutritional yeast gives it a savory, almost cheesy depth. The capers stirred in at the end add bursts of salty tang.
Yes. This recipe uses nutritional yeast and toasted walnuts instead of Parmesan, so it is completely dairy-free and vegan. The nutritional yeast provides the savory, cheesy flavor that cheese normally would, with no animal products at all.
Yes. If you need a nut-free version, swap the walnuts for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, which blend into a similar creamy texture. Toast them first for the best flavor. You can also leave the nuts out entirely, though the pesto will be a little thinner and less rich.
Capers are preserved in brine or salt, which makes them very salty straight from the jar. If yours taste sharp, give them a quick rinse under cool water, especially salt-packed capers. Rinsing tames the salt while keeping their tangy, briny flavor intact.
Arugula pesto can darken as it oxidizes. Blend it just until smooth rather than over-processing, store it in an airtight jar, and press a thin layer of olive oil over the top to limit contact with air. Kept this way in the fridge, it stays bright for two to three days.
Absolutely. Arugula pesto is great spread on toast or pizza, stirred into grain bowls, dolloped on roasted vegetables, or used as a sandwich spread. It is a versatile sauce, so make a bigger batch and keep it in the fridge to use through the week.
Very nice recipe and beautiful pic!:-)
Thank you Barbara! 😀