I received this beautifully illustrated cookbook for my birthday this summer from our family’s friend Judi. I spent the past few days harvesting mint from my garden, removing the leaves from the stems, and drying them on baking sheets covered by parchment paper. I had a little that I kept fresh and saved, partially to make this recipe.

Fresh mint from my garden ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

The prep was extremely minimal and I had all the essential ingredients. I learned that arugula, also known as rocket, has been growing since Roman times in the Mediterranean region. That’s some historic food! I added about 1/4 cup of pinenuts to the recipe and used a hand blender to make the mixture into a smooth pesto after about 30 seconds. See the video below:

I made the pesto about an hour ahead of dinnertime and kept it refrigerated until needed. I love being able to make food ahead of time. So convenient! You could make this the night before even to save time after work. I baked some garlic bread slices in the oven and on the same baking sheet added some salted, sliced summer squash and one spinach and feta sausage, also sliced. I baked it for about 10 minutes and added to the pasta after it had been plated.

Spinach-Feta Sausage, summer squash, and garlic bread in the oven ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

The pesto wasn’t chalky like the jar kind and you could taste the spicy garlic and arugula and the sweet mint. It was a wonderful combination of flavors and I will make this again for sure. Here’s my homemade pesto pasta: #williamssonoma #pesto #farmersmarket

Farmer’s Market Spaghetti with Arugula-Mint Pesto ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Spaghetti with Arugula-Mint Pesto

From: Williams-Sonoma Cooking from the Farmers’ Market, by Tasha DeSerio & Jodi Liano 2010

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed arugula
• 1/3 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup shaved aged hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 garlic clove
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 lb. spaghetti

Directions:
1. In a blender, combine the arugula, mint, olive oil, the cheese, the garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Stir in 1/2 Tbs. of the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the pesto until ready to serve.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the empty pot.

3. Toss the pesto with the spaghetti. Thin it out with a small amount of reserved cooking water if needed. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the remaining 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice. Divide among warmed serving bowls. Sprinkle cheese over each portion and serve immediately.