Pesto Recipe Using Dining Hall Ingredients: A Huge Time and Money Saver

This pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients is simple. efficient, and a huge money saver.

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons walnuts
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 oz arugula
• 1/2 extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

STEP 1:

In a food processor or blender add garlic cloves and pulse until sufficiently chopped, scrape down sides

STEP 2:

Add walnuts, and pulse until the consistency is paste like

STEP 3:

Add salt and arugula, and pulse until fully combined

STEP 4:

Add parmesan, pulse, and scrape down the sides

STEP 5:

Enjoy!

This pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients is so simple so easy and so delicious. i’ve always been a fan of traditional pesto, but pinenuts are so expensive and finding fresh basil at college isn’t the easiest thing. When I found out pesto didn’t have to be basil and pinenuts I started getting creative in the kitchen. I’ve made pesto’s with almonds, cashews, and walnuts instead of pinenuts and arugula and spinach instead of basil. After making so many different combinations of these ingredients for pesto, I’ve come to the conclusion that arugula and walnuts is the best. 

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What I love the most about this recipe is that both e and walnuts are ingredients that almost any college salad bar will have. To make this pesto there’s no need to go to the grocery store. The title pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients really means pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients. My dining hall at school had these little takeout containers, and I would always put a side of arugula and walnuts in there so that when I got home I could make pesto for pasta. 

This pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients is also dorm friendly because you don’t even need a blender or food processor. Of course a blender or food processor would make this process slightly easier but if you’re in a dorm room and don’t have access to that equipment, you could go old-school and make pesto the traditional way.

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Traditional pesto is pesto Genovese, it originated in the Italies northern region of Genoa. When pesto first started being made in the early 16 century cooks would crush all of the ingredients with a mortar and pestle to combine. While this seems slightly dated now, there are still plenty of people who prefer the traditional method for making pesto.

I mentioned earlier that I make this pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients primarily as a pasta sauce, but I also love it on salads and even as a dip. The pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients is also great on some crunchy bread with bruschetta or cheese.

When you’re in college, you have such great access to your dining hall and it’s so important to use and take advantage of it. Your dining hall may not have garlic cloves that you can source, but I’m sure you could also find olive oil and Parmesan cheese. 

This pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients can be made in a mortar and pestle a food processor and a blender, but I have to say my favorite method is the food processor. I use the Cuisinart 4-Cup Elemental Food Processor and it is amazing. I use this food processor for salad dressings, smoothies, dips, and so much more.

Next time you are looking to make a healthy, easy, simple pasta sauce you have to try this pesto recipe using dining hall ingredients. It has never disappointed and I will continue to make this recipe.