Arugula & Walnut Pesto with Summer Squash

I've always had a thing for Arugula.  There's something I find really attractive about that very distinctive aromatic flavor, but maybe it's not for everyone because apparently Cy does not find arugula very tasty.  

Which is really unfortunate because like most other dark green leafy vegetables, it's packed with amazing nutrition like Chlorophyll, and is best eaten raw (or a cooking time of within 5min or so).  

Here's the science tidbit- Chlorophyll has a biochemical structure just like red blood cells, except it has a Magnesium center versus an Iron one.  When you cook arugula (or any other green veggie), the Magnesium center is replaced by Hydrogen, turning the bright green color into a dull one (So interesting isn't it!?) The loss of Chlorophyll means you're losing out on all of its possible anti-cancer properties. The wholefoods site actually has a great article source list here.  

As much as Cy does not like arugula however, he really enjoyed the arugula pesto.  So this dish might be a great way to get the benefits of raw arugula, even for the non-arugula lover.  And the fact that it's with a "pasta" that's completely carb-free?  Only an added plus.  It's really perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day like the ones we've been having lately.

I used walnuts in the pesto, but you can always replace them with other types of nuts (pine nuts, almonds, etc).  Whatever works for you!

Freeze any leftover pesto in ice trays and save them for another day ;)