This pesto is a bright, rich and slightly tart sauce that’s great for fish and seafood.  The ingredients in my market that inspired this meal were Marcona almonds and pitted green Sicilian olives.   I could tell that these olives were at a perfect stage of curing–still some brightness left in their color–tart, but not too deeply cured flavor.

Together with arugula, lemon zest, and lots of olive oil, these ingredients make the foundation for a beautiful, simple sauce.  This sauce is more flavorful and developed if made a couple of days before serving, and holds in the fridge without any discoloration whatsoever.

My fish market had the most perfect-looking, deep pink wild king salmon–worth the splurge.

With the fish, we had a crunchy, fresh salad of arugula, shaved fennel, green olives, oranges and bulghur, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Arugula and Green Olive Pesto

2 c firmly packed arugula, washed and dried

1/3 c marcona almonds

1/2 c pitted green olives

1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

salt to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor.

Process until a coarse puree forms.

Spoon over grilled fish or seafood of almost any kind.