Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has been wowing us for years with simple, healthy takes on her favorite Italian dishes. From four-ingredient lemon spaghetti to chicken piccata meatballs, when the mind behind food and lifestyle brand Giadzy shares a dish she just can’t get enough of, we take notice.
Just in time for spring, De Laurentiis recently shared her recipe for Artichoke and Arugula Pesto on her Instagram account, and we can’t wait to make it. Why? Not only does the bright, flavorful pesto look delicious, but it’s also packed with healthy ingredients—namely some tasty veggies.
“Between the arugula, which is a cruciferous vegetable, the artichokes, the olive oil, the lemon—I mean, it’s good for you,” De Laurentiis says in her post about the recipe.
Add in the fact that De Laurentiis’ dip uses just five ingredients, and we’re convinced. To make it, place a well-drained jar of artichoke hearts into a food processor, along with a few small garlic cloves, some lemon zest and 3 cups (or, if you’re like De Laurentiis, three good-sized handfuls) of arugula.
Roughly chop the ingredients in the food processor until everything is mixed and similar in size, then add in ½ cup of olive oil. Give the ingredients another mix in the food processor before adding basil, lemon juice and salt and turning the food processor back on for a final blend.
“I had this dip for the first time at a farmers’ market, and I loved it so much that I was like, oh, I want to re-create it,” De Laurentiis shared in the video.
With flavorful ingredients like arugula, a popular addition to spring mix that’s high in vitamin C, and artichokes, which can boost brain and bone health and provide magnesium, we want to re-create the delicious mix, too. The tasty, green dip is perfect for serving with chips, crudités, crostini or crackers. And, there’s another use that has us intrigued.
“Think of it even as a pesto, tossing it with pasta,” De Laurentiis says. “I mean, it’s so versatile, whether it’s a dip or pesto — call it what you want, add it to whatever you want. It’s bright, it’s fresh, and I think it’s perfect for spring.”
So whether you add this creamy green dip to some whole-wheat pasta, use it as a dip for baby carrots and pita chips or add it to a spread of appetizers at your next party, this dip is an ideal companion for the warmer weather.
