Fresh Cilantro Pesto Recipe

Cilantro pesto is a sauce made of cilantro, pine nuts, pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, olive oil, and garlic. Traditional pesto recipes use basil leaves, but making pesto with cilantro adds sweetness and a slightly citrusy flavor. Cilantro is a staple herb in many cuisines, and cilantro pesto is an excellent addition to many Mexican and South Asian dishes. Jump to recipe.

Follow these tips to learn how to make pesto right every time:

1. 1. Add a pinch of salt. Adding salt to the cilantro helps break down the leaves while blending.
2. 2. Blend in a food processor. Traditionally, cooks made this Italian sauce with a mortar and pestle, but most modern pesto recipes call for a food processor to save time.
3. 3. Brighten the sauce with lemon. Though not a traditional pesto ingredient, lemon juice and/or zest can help brighten up a lackluster pesto.
4. 4. Experiment with texture. You can make the pesto thick, thin, chunky, or smooth, depending on how you plan to enjoy the sauce.
5. 5. Store leftover pesto in the fridge, covered in a layer of olive oil. For longer-term storage, freeze pesto in ice cube trays and cover with plastic wrap. Pesto won’t retain its beautiful bright green color after defrosting, but it’s a good trick when you’re overloaded with cilantro.
6. 6. Toast the nuts. Many recipes toast pine nuts to add a rich, roasted flavor to pesto, but it’s also perfectly acceptable to leave them raw. Using raw pine nuts saves some time vis à vis toasting and cooling, and it also preserves their sweetness. You can substitute cashews, almonds, pecans, peanuts, or sunflower seeds for pine nuts, if desired.
7. 7. Use fresh cilantro leaves. Similar to basil pesto, use fresh cilantro leaves to make pesto. Dried cilantro tastes completely different from the fresh stuff. Also, fresh cilantro leaves contain their own moisture in the form of both water and natural oils, which contributes to pesto’s creaminess.

You can use cilantro pesto as a condiment or sauce for various dishes. Consider the following applications:

1. 1. Crostini: If you plan to enjoy cilantro pesto on crostini (toasted baguette slices) or as a sandwich spread, make sure it’s on the thicker side so it spreads nicely but won’t drip over the edges of the crostini. Finish your pesto spread with shaved Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.
2. 2. Crudités: Purée the cilantro pesto and serve it as a dip with a crudités platter (a tray of raw, cut vegetables), zucchini fries, or even pizza. Since the pesto has a bright, herbaceous flavor, it pairs well with sweeter vegetables, such as bell peppers and carrots.
3. 3. Pasta: Cilantro pesto is a good alternative to red sauce on pasta. It adds a distinct texture and flavor and adheres much better than a traditional marinara sauce to penne pasta and other types of pasta. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of red pepper flakes to complement the garlicky flavor in a cilantro pesto pasta dish.
4. 4. Salad: You typically dress a pasta salad with mayonnaise or a vinegar-based dressing, but you can substitute cilantro pesto sauce to add a unique flavor and increase the veggie content. Or try it in place of dressing on your favorite green salad.
5. 5. Tacos: For a Mexican twist on classic pesto, swap lime juice for lemon, peanuts or pumpkin seeds for pine nuts, and cotija cheese for Parmesan. Drizzle the mixture over tacos, nachos, or use it as a dip for tortilla chips. Blend in a jalapeño for a spicy kick.