Jalapeno Pesto with Cilantro Recipe
A zesty roasted jalapeno and cilantro pesto that goes great with fish, chicken or vegetables.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 206kcal
Ingredients
- 8-10 jalapenos
- 1-2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 ½ cups tightly packed cilantro leaves
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- salt
- pepper
- additional olive oil if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place 8-10 jalapenos on a cookie sheet, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive or canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast peppers for 20 minutes or until skin is blistered and starting to darken.
- Remove peppers from the pan, place in a bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let peppers sit for 15-20 minutes, then remove from the bowl. Peel the peppers (to the extent you can) and remove the seeds. It's fine if some peel and seeds remain.
- Place 1/4 cup pine nuts on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until just turning lightly brown.
- Combine jalapenos, 1 1/2 cups tightly packed cilantro leaves, pine nuts and 3 cloves garlic in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil while motor is running and process until smooth.
- Add 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a little salt and pepper, and pulse a few times until blended. If the mixture is too thick, add additional olive oil one teaspoon at a time and pulse.
