I grow arugula in my garden every year. It is such an easy plant to grow, it sprouts early, loves the colder months, and grows faster than any lettuce I have grown. This also produces my favorite problem, I end up with lots of arugula to find interesting new ways to use. Therefore, today I am sharing my creamy pesto arugula and tomato wraps.
The creamy pesto sauce idea was developed by one of those lightbulb-moments. I wanted to add protein to the wrap, but didn’t want roll-y chickpeas all over the place making the wrap difficult to eat. I opted for white beans instead of chickpeas, and decided to puree them into a flavorful spread, like hummus, but different.
I added the tomatoes to the wrap because it needed some acidity. They also added body and paired well with the creamy pesto, mozzarella and arugula.
I tried this recipe with both fresh mozzarella and regular shredded. The fresh mozzarella was great in the wrap, adding more to the creaminess and freshness as well as another teture. I especially enjoyed the spongy texture of the fresh slices in comparison to the shredded.
Tips and Tricks for the Creamy Pesto Arugula and Tomato Wraps recipe:
- Slices vs Dicing: Try dicing the tomatoes and mozzarella if you find the wrap difficult to fold together. This happens when your slices are very wide. The slices might be pulled out as you eat the wrap, but they don’t fall out like the diced do.
- Make it a quesadilla: Use regular shredded mozzarella instead of the moisture rich fresh if you want to make a quesadilla. You will need less of the tomato and arugula as well. I tried this on a cold spring day when I wanted a warm meal and it was delicious!
- Simple Swaps: If you don’t have fresh arugula, try spinach or spring mix. Try chickpeas in place of the white beans in the creamy spread, or try roasted red bell peppers in place of the tomato. Make the wrap with arugula pesto instead of basil pesto if you really want to amp up the arugula flavors!
- ¾ cup white beans, cooked or from a can
- ¼ cup prepared basil pesto
- 1 garlic clove
- Pinch sea salt
- 2 TBS water, if necessary
- 3 whole wheat tortillas (I used 8 inch “medium” sized tortillas)
- 3 large handfuls arugula, about 3 cups
- 1 small tomato, sliced or diced
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella chees, sliced or diced
- Add the white beans, pesto, garlic and sea salt to a mini food processor or blender. Process until smooth, adding the water to thin out the spread and make it less paste-like, and more hummus like.
- Heat tortillas, if desired. I like to toast them on the stove top.
- Spread the creamy pesto over the wraps. Top with mozzarella sliced, tomato slices, and arugula. Serve.
Recipe inspired by My Recipes.
