A spicy sauce that’s perfect tossed with pasta. Be sure to wash your arugula thoroughly, in at least two changes of cold water, to remove any soil and grit, which you definitely don’t want in your pesto.

Ingredients

　　2 cups (packed) fresh arugula

　　1 garlic clove

　　1/2 cup olive oil

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　In the bowl of a food processor, blend the arugula and garlic until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil, processing until well blended. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl, and stir in the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.