Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto with Lime

Name: Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto with Lime
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3 /4 cup
Ingredients: 1 bunch fresh cilantro; 2 ½ tablespoons toasted pine nuts; ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 5 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; ½ fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded; ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rating: 4.66 stars

50 Ratings
41 Reviews
6 Photos

This is a spicy alternative to classic basil pesto. You can control the spiciness by using less jalapeno and by removing the seeds and white membrane of the pepper before adding it to the pesto. If you like the spice, just throw it all in!

By Kelly Van Hooser Turner

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Recipe Summary

prep:

10 mins

total:

10 mins

Servings:

Yield:

3 /4 cup

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 6 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

1 bunch fresh cilantro
2 ½ tablespoons toasted pine nuts
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Step 1

Combine the cilantro, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and Parmesan cheese in a blender; pulse until the mixture reaches a soft, paste-like consistency.

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Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

129 calories; protein 2.8g; carbohydrates 1.9g; fat 12.4g; cholesterol 3.7mg; sodium 68.6mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (41)

Most helpful positive review

Jen

06/23/2008

This recipe ROCKS!!! If there were 10 stars, I'd give it that!!! We've been buying a tiny tub of a very delicious cilantro lime pesto at our local gourmet grocery store, to the tune of 4-5 bucks . . . I just purchased my first food processor and thought it would be fun to try and find a similar recipe, for my processor's maiden voyage! This one exceeded my expectations! The jalapeno adds a nice, surprising kick that the grocery store version doesn't have. Thanks a million for sharing! Read More

Helpful

(35)

50 Ratings

5 star values: 37
4 star values: 10
3 star values: 2
2 star values: 1
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

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Jen

06/23/2008

Helpful

(35)

BSLOWERY

10/20/2007

Good recipe; nice and spicy. I did add a little salt. Good with meats and I even mixed some in with my salad greens. Read More

Helpful

(20)

A.Murphree

05/07/2008

Recipe was really good. I tossed it with whole wheat rotini pasta and grilled chicken but somewhere between here and the grocery store I lost my jalapeno so I had to make it without...Im sure it will be MUCH better with it next time....Ill definitely make this one again! Read More

Helpful

(15)

chopin4-2

03/09/2010

Wow. This is so good. I love cilantro. Unfortunately I have a cilantro hater in the family which makes it challenging to get my cilantro fix. Lol. I actually like this better then regular pesto. I had toasted pumpkin seeds (so good) versus the pine nuts. I also used roasted/grilled garlic. My jalapeno was wimpy; so wound up using the whole pepper. I added a touch of kosher salt to the party and had to put the spoon down and walk away! Lol. It's that good. Thanks for an awesome recipe to get my cilantro fix. Read More

Helpful

(11)

Denise Kasz Willmarth

09/13/2010

This recipe is AMAZING! I did add a little extra parmesean cheese and my cilantro bunch was huge. I am going to mix this in some yogurt and make a dip out of it. I could eat it as is! It absolutely needs a 1/2 tsp of salt! Read More

Helpful

(10)

Katrina

09/07/2010

This is a great recipe good twist on pesto! I don't care for Jalapeno and we used a whole one without seeds...just the right amount of kick! Served it as an appetizer on a toasted baguette (with olive oil). Placed some pesto on top with a piece of tomato as a garnish. Delicious! Read More

Helpful

(8)

dee

03/22/2010

I love super spicy food - so I used 2 huge jalapenos with seeds. I added a little extra oil & lime juice to compensate. It was delicious!! I used in veggie wraps with roasted potates cheese & lettuce. Read More

Helpful

(7)

meep234