overhead image of linguini with cilantro pesto sauce in a white bowl, garnished with chopped cilantro and peanuts and a lime wedge

Why you’ll love this cilantro peanut pesto

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.

More peanut recipes: grilled beef satay / quick peanut noodles / peanut butter and jelly chicken wings / peanut butter cornflake cookies

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cilantro peanut pesto sauce in a small bowl garnished with chopped peanuts
Ideas

Ingredients:

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

  • Cilantro – You only want to use fresh cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, I’d recommend you skip this recipe.
  • Peanuts – Yes, you can use a different nut butter for this recipe. I would recommend almond or cashew for the closest flavor.
  • To make this recipe gluten free: swap your pasta for a gluten free pasta and use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
  • Olive oil – Don’t use a super flavorful olive oil for this recipe. You will want a light olive oil or a neutral oil like canola or avocado.

More pesto recipes: sun dried tomato pesto / dairy free pesto / pistachio pesto / roasted red pepper pesto

linguini with cilantro pesto sauce in a white bowl, garnished with chopped cilantro and peanuts

Frequently asked questions

  • How much pesto should you add to 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. I generally think about 1 cup of pesto sauce is needed for each pound of pasta.
  • Can you eat pesto without cooking it? 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.
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5 from 1 vote

Cilantro Peanut Pesto Pasta

By: Melissa Belanger
Bright, bold, and totally addictive, this cilantro peanut pesto is a fun twist on tradition. Think classic Italian meets the savory magic of peanut sauce, perfect for livening up noodles, veggies, or grilled chicken. One bite, and you’ll be hooked on its nutty, herby goodness!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 1 pound linguine, or other pasta
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled

For serving:

  • Chopped peanuts
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Lime wedges

Instructions 

  • Cook the pasta. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook your pasta according to the package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
  • Make the pesto. Combine the pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Then, transfer to a bowl or mason jar until ready to use. Store in an airtight container for up to one week in the fridge.
  • Toss everything together. Return the pasta to the pot, and add the pesto sauce, adding pasta water as needed to reached desired consistency and help the sauce bind to the pasta.
  • Garnish and serve. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper to taste and garnish with extra cilantro, peanuts and lime wedges.

Notes

Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining pasta. Add 2-3 tablespoons of pasta water when tossing the pasta with pesto sauce to stretch and thicken sauce. 

Nutrition

Calories: 489kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 19g, Sodium: 600mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin C: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites.

Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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5 from 1 vote

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20 Comments

  1. Cat B says:

    5 stars
    Please provide suggestions as to what ‘cooking’ method you are recommending for this comment made in your above notes. “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.” Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Hi Cat! I think you are asking me to clarify what I wrote in my FAQ section. This just means that pesto is safe to eat without cooking. The only cooking that should happen with the sauce is the heating that takes place when you add it to hot pasta with pasta water.

      Reply