Cilantro Peanut Pesto

 

Cilantro seems to be an herb that's either love it or hate it, but around here, we love it!  We use it most for salsa, but you only need 1/4-1/2 cup, and most bunches of cilantro at the grocery store are over 2 cups!  With summer upon us, I have a cilantro plant, and it too is yielding far more than 1/2 cup at a time!  What to do with all that extra cilantro?  I can't bear to waste it, so, I usually make a few batches of this Cilantro Peanut Pesto. It freezes just as beautifully as basil pesto and is such a great blend of flavor--cilantro, ginger, lime, and peanuts make it sweet, tangy, and savory all at once!  We generally enjoy it with a linguine, but this time I just used penne as its what I had on hand.  Toss with chicken or veggies if you like! 


Cilantro Peanut Pesto

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped* (about 1 cup, plus more for garnish if desired)
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
zest and juice from one lime
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (plus more for serving, if desired*)
2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3/4 pound (12 oz) linguine or other pasta, cooked according to pkg. instructions

*cilantro stems are very tender, so you don't need to take the time to pick all the leaves off
*I've subbed 1/4 tsp. ground, but fresh is SO good! you can store unused fresh in the freezer for a longer shelf life
*I've also subbed a big spoonful of peanut butter before

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving a bit of pasta water to thicken the sauce.

In a food processor, combine cilantro, garlic, ginger, vegetable and sesame oils, red pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, and peanuts.  Pulse until a coarse paste forms.  Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine.  In a large bowl, toss pesto with hot pasta, adding additional pasta water to create more of a cohesive sauce if necessary.  Roughly chop additional peanuts and sprinkle over pasta along with extra cilantro leaves and lime wedges if desired.   Serve immediately.  If waiting to serve, toss pesto with pasta just before serving.

Pesto freezes well in an airtight container.


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