Cilantro Peanut Pesto Pasta
This pesto is an Asian inspired version of an Italian classic made with cilantro and other flavors that mimic those of a savory peanut sauce.
I don’t think I could possibly describe in words how much I love cilantro or how much I love peanut sauces or how much I love making pesto. Not to mention how much I love eating pasta. This might just be heaven for me.
Plus, it’s a quick and budget-friendly meal. You can’t get much better than that – unless you could make it calorie free. In which case, I would eat the entire pound of pasta all by myself.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it



Top make this recipe gluten free, swap your pasta for a gluten free pasta and use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
How to make cilantro peanut pesto
Just throw everything into the food processor, toss the pasta with the sauce and garnish with extra peanuts and cilantro. It really doesn’t get much easier than that.

FAQS and tips on making cilantro peanut pesto pasta
There is no right way to do it here, but if you feel like you need to stretch the pesto sauce out try adding a few tablespoons of pasta water to the dish!
You can eat pesto without cooking it, try smearing it on a sandwich for some extra flavor! There are no ingredients in pesto that need to be cooked, however cooking pesto sauce will help bring out the flavors and make it extra delicious.

More vegan pesto recipes:
More peanut recipe favorites:
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Cilantro Peanut Pesto Pasta
This pesto is an Asian inspired version of an Italian classic made with cilantro and other flavors that mimic those of a savory peanut sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine or gluten-free pasta
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
For serving:
- Peanuts
- Cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- In a food processor, add all of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
- Toss pasta with the sauce and serve with extra cilantro, peanuts and lime wedges.
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 309
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 283.6 mg
- Fat: 19.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.7 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: easy, dairy free, vegan, gluten free option
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites.
Published: September 3, 2012. Updated: December 2, 2021.
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