Pesto di Rucola

the southern pesto that replaces basil with rocket: almonds instead of pine nuts, pecorino instead of parmesan, and a sharpness that basil never had

Origin: Puglia, Italy

From the journey of Rocket.

Pesto is Ligurian by origin and by name, from pestare, to pound, but the method long ago escaped Liguria and the south makes it with whatever grows. Rocket pesto belongs to that tradition, and in Puglia and Campania it is made from the wild plant that grows in the field margins rather than from anything sown. It is not a substitute for basil pesto so much as a different condiment that happens to be made the same way: where basil is sweet and aromatic, rocket is bitter and hot, and the result is savoury and assertive rather than perfumed. The supporting ingredients shift with the leaf, and the changes are logical rather than arbitrary. Almonds replace pine nuts because Puglia grows almonds in enormous quantity and does not grow pine nuts, and because the almond's slight bitterness suits the rocket where the pine nut's resinous sweetness fights it. Pecorino replaces parmesan for the same reason it does in most southern cooking, being both local and sharper. Some households add a little ricotta or a boiled potato to soften the whole thing, which is worth knowing about if the rocket you have is very fierce. The one genuine technical warning concerns heat. Rocket's pepperiness is volatile and its bitterness is not, so anything that warms the paste, including a food processor run too long, drives off the good part and concentrates the harsh part.

Ingredients

  • 150 g rocket (arugula), preferably wild, tough stems removed
  • 60 g blanched almonds, lightly toasted and cooled
  • 1 clove garlic, green germ removed
  • 60 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
  • 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
  • 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt, or to taste
  • 1 squeeze lemon juice, to finish (optional)

Method

  1. Toast the almonds in a dry pan until they smell warm and are barely coloured, then tip them out and let them cool completely.
  2. Pound the garlic and salt to a paste in a mortar, then work in the almonds until broken down but still slightly gritty.
  3. Add the rocket in handfuls, pounding or pulsing each one down before adding the next.
  4. Work in both cheeses, then pour in the oil in a slow stream, stirring rather than pounding, until you have a loose, glossy paste.
  5. Taste for salt and add a squeeze of lemon if it needs lifting. Use at once, or cover with a film of oil and refrigerate.

Notes

Wild rocket makes a sharper and better pesto than garden rocket, though it can be fierce; if yours is very hot, replace a third of the leaves with flat-leaf parsley or basil, or stir in a spoonful of ricotta at the end, both of which are ordinary household practice in Puglia. Walnuts work in place of almonds and give a rounder, heavier sauce. Beyond pasta, this is very good spread on grilled bread, stirred through boiled potatoes, spooned over grilled fish or lamb, or thinned with a little more oil and lemon into a dressing. When dressing pasta, always slacken the pesto with a ladle of the starchy cooking water off the heat, and never warm the pesto in a pan.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
© 2026 The Gastrographer. All original research, narratives, and illustrations. All rights reserved.