The magnificent Chef Aarón Sánchez shares his recipe for an easy and delicious Latin-inspired pesto. Try it with your favorite pasta!
Servings 2 cups
30 mins.
Easy
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted raw or roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ bunch fresh Cilantro, stems trimmed 2 inches from the bottom
- 1 cup fresh Basil leaves
- 1 cup Olive Oil, plus extra for storage
- ½ Serrano Chile or 1 Jalapeño, coarsely chopped (include seeds for additional spice)
- 2 Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- ½ crumbled Cotija cheese or shredded Pecorino or Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread the pumpkin seeds in an even layer on a dry baking sheet. Put the sheet in the oven and bake, checking them and shaking the pan every 3 minutes, until they start to dance, puff up and brown lightly, about 10 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven, transfer the seeds to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- Put the cilantro, basil and olive oil into a food processor, and puree for 2 minutes. Add the chile, garlic, pumpkin seeds and cotija and pulse until you have a coarse purée.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pro Tips
To store, put it into a container with a tight-fitting lid and pour ¼ inch of olive oil over the surface to keep out the air. Each time you use it, stir that oil in, and replace with another ¼ inch of oil before closing the container, this makes an airtight seal that will keep it tasting fresh for up to 10 days.