Best Cilantro Pesto Pasta Recipes

CILANTRO PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Place first 8 ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until smooth, then add the pasta water. Toss with hot pasta, adjust seasonings, then serve immediately.

GURU'S CILANTRO LIME PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Using a blender, mix together the cilantro, olive oil, almonds, garlic, lime juice, 1/2 cup asiago, salt and chicken broth on low speed for 2 minutes. Set aside. In large saucepan combine pasta, cooked chicken and sauce. Heat over medium heat for 2 minutes. Pour into serving bowls. Top with remaining asiago and sun-dried tomatoes.

PASTA WITH CILANTRO-PEANUT PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine cilantro, garlic, ginger, vegetable and sesame oils, red-pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup peanuts. Pulse until a coarse paste forms. Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine.
• In a large bowl, toss pesto with pasta. Roughly chop remaining peanuts and sprinkle over pasta along with cilantro leaves.

PASTA WITH CILANTRO PESTO AND BARLEY

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in the barley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orecchiette pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a food processor, finely chop the cilantro, green onions, and 1/2 the tomatoes. Mix in the broth and Parmesan cheese, and process until well blended.
• In a large bowl, toss the barley, pasta, cilantro mixture, remaining tomatoes, and arugula. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

CILANTRO PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the cilantro pesto: Add the cilantro, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice and garlic to a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are roughly chopped, 4 to 5 times. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil through the lid opening. Process to desired consistency; you can make the sauce completely smooth or leave it fairly chunky.
• For the roasted tomatoes: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the tomatoes and shallot. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down and brown slightly, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
• For the salad: In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chicken, tomatoes and pesto and toss. Garnish with shaved Parmesan and a few cilantro leaves and serve.

PASTA WITH CILANTRO-ALMOND PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until golden and fragrant, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Coarsely chop 1/3 cup; reserve.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, drop garlic in feed tube of a running food processor. Add 2/3 cup almonds; process until coarsely chopped. Add cilantro and oil; process to a paste. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add pesto to drained pasta along with 1/4 cup pasta water to loosen pesto slightly. Toss to combine, creating a silky sauce. Serve with carrots, feta, reserved almonds, and cilantro sprigs.

PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND CILANTRO-LIME PESTO

Steps:

• Blend 1 1/4 cups cilantro leaves and next 4 ingredients in processor until coarse puree forms. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup oil. Season generously with salt. (Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill).
• Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tb oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; add tequila. Return skillet to heat and stir until sauce is syrupy, about 30 seconds. Add pesto; stir to coat. Remove from heat.
• Add pasta to sauce in skillet; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta and shrimp among 4 plates. Sprinkle Cotija cheese and chopped cilantro over and serve.

GREEN CHILE-CILANTRO PESTO SAUCE (PASTA)

Steps:

• Puree cilantro, cheese, green chile, jalapeno, pine nuts, and garlic in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary.
• With processor running, add oil in steady stream until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
• Toss pesto with cooked pasta and reserved pasta cooking water, if necessary.

EGG YOLK PASTA (UOVA DA RAVIOLO) WITH CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Place cilantro leaves, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, toasted almonds, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until mixture becomes a paste-like pesto, 6 or 7 pulses.
• Mix all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour together in a bowl. Mound flour on a work surface such as a large wooden cutting board. Create a well in the center of the flour; add 4 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil into the middle of the well. Beat the eggs and olive oil and gradually begin incorporating the flour a little at a time using a fork, lifting flour up from the sides until most of the flour is incorporated into the eggs. Shape into a ball. Knead dough until it is elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding additional flour if it is too sticky.
• Roll dough out into a large rectangle about 1/16 inch thick. Cut into 8 6x6-inch squares.
• Mix ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheeses together in a small mixing bowl. Transfer to a piping bag or plastic bag (cut a small piece off a corner of the bag). Pipe a small circle of cheese mixture large enough to hold an egg yolk in the middle of 4 of the dough squares. Place an egg yolk in the center of each circle.
• Mix 1 egg white and 2 teaspoons water together in a small bowl. Brush egg wash on edges of the pasta squares outside the egg yolk circle. Carefully place remaining 4 pasta squares on the egg yolks. Gently seal edges and try to eliminate any air pockets. Use a 6-inch round cookie cutter to remove the corners of the squares. Press edges of ravioli with tines of a fork to strengthen the seal.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil; reduce heat to medium-high so water is just simmering. Carefully transfer ravioli to water; gently stir. Cook until pasta is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on 4 warm serving plates. Serve topped with a spoonful of pesto.

PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND CILANTRO-LIME PESTO

Steps:

• Blend 2 cups of cilantro leaves (leaving 1/4 cup for chopped garnish) and next 4 ingredients in food processor until coarse puree forms. With machine running, gradually add EVOO. Season generously with salt. (remember, this can be done ahead) Cook linguine in large pot of boiling, salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Meanwhile, heat remaining EVOO in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until almost opaque in the center, about 3 min. Remove skillet from heat; add tequilla. Return skillet to heat and stir until sauce is syrupy, about 30 sec. Add pesto; stir to coat. Remove from heat. Add pasta to sauce in skillet and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta and shrimp among plates, and sprinkle with Cojita or Feta cheese and chopped cilantro.

PASTA WITH CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• 1. In a small skillet, add the almonds and toast. Stir constantly to prevent them from burning. Add 1/4 cup of the almonds to your food processor - reserve the remaining 1/4 cup.
• 2. Remove stems from the cilantro and wash the cilantro. Tear the leaves into a cup measure -- 1/14 cups tightly packed. Add the cilantro leaves, garlic, olive oil, salt, cayenne and 1/4 cup water to the almonds. Process until smooth, but not completely pureed. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and pour into a large pasta bowl. Stir in the cheese.
• 3. Cook pasta according to pkg. instructions to al dente. Drain pasta and immediately add it to the pesto. Toss to mix well. Garnish with remaining almonds.

CILANTRO PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook rigatoni to al dente.
• In blender, blend oil, cilantro, garlic and oregano until smooth.
• Toss pasta and dressing, and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix in pine nuts and olives.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Toss again before serving.

CILANTRO PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Place cilantro, dressing, almonds, cheese and pepper in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.
• Prepare pasta as directed on package; drain. Pour into large serving bowl.
• Spoon cilantro pesto over pasta; stir gently. Top with chopped tomatoes. Serve warm or cold.