This simple cilantro pesto is bright, bold, and packed with flavor. Made with fresh cilantro, almonds and garlic, it’s the perfect way to use up extra herbs and add a punch of freshness to your pasta.
Why I love this cilantro pesto
My mom came home with two bunches the other day for $2 and after cleaning and removing the stems, we had 8 cups of cilantro. 8 cups. What in the world is anyone supposed to do with 8 cups of cilantro?
Make pesto, of course. I divided up the cilantro and made 2 batches of this cilantro pesto and another 2 batches of my cilantro peanut pesto.
More dairy free pesto recipes: roasted red pepper pesto / pistachio pesto / sun dried tomato pesto / spinach basil pesto
Ingredient notes:
- Cilantro – The only thing I don’t like about pesto is the cost of making it. I mean, unless you have a bountiful garden full of basil, you are going to spend some big bucks on basil and pine nuts. But guess what isn’t expensive. Cilantro. It’s always under a dollar and the bunches are huge. Go to a farmers’ market and it’s even cheaper.
- Almonds – For this recipe I opted for almonds over pine nuts for the nutty flavor.
- Olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil, it helps prevent bitterness.
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.
Melissa’s Tips & tricks
- Removing the stems: I suggest removing the larger, thick stems from the cilantro, but other than that, I don’t really bother. The stems have tons of flavor, so just toss them in!
- Use a lighter flavored olive oil to avoid bitterness in your pesto sauce.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe makes about 1 cup of pesto sauce, which I think is more than enough for 1 pound of pasta, or any other recipe you might need it for. It should stay fresh in the fridge for about a week.
If you don’t use all of your pesto right away, or if you feel like making a couple batches at once, you can definitely freeze it for later. I like to freeze mine in 1/2 cup containers (leftover from making baby food) so I never have to thaw too much out. If I need a whole cup, I’ll just thaw two containers.
Ways to use this pesto sauce:
- Toss it with some al dente pasta for a quick dinner.
- Add pesto to a vinaigrette for a fresh salad dressing.
- Use it as a marinade from grilled shrimp or chicken.
- Stir some into mayonnaise for a flavorful sandwich spread.
Searching for more easy sauce recipes? These are some of my favorite sauce recipes: Easy chimichurri sauce recipe / Dairy free alfredo sauce / Easy marinara sauce / Easy stir fry sauce recipe
Cilantro Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, or 2/3 cup whole almonds
- 2 cups fresh cilantro, large stems removed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
Instructions
- To make the pesto: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed, until the pesto is a consistent, bright green color. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste.
- To use as pasta sauce: Cook 1 pound of pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Toss pasta with about 1 cup of pesto sauce and add 1 – 2 tablespoons pasta water at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency.
- Storage instructions: Transfer pesto sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Sauce can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge, or frozen for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
After trimming my cilantro plants, I had this huge vase of cuttings on my counter so I went hunting for recipes. I looked at many recipes but this one caught my eye. I made this recipe exactly as stated except for using 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne powder instead of red pepper flakes. It’s really not at all too spicy. For me, I would add more heat, but hubby likes it mild. He loved this recipe. It was nice and thick. I stored in the freezer and used the rest for dinner over angel hair pasta. To get the consistency right and add some flavor, I used some Meyer Lemon infused olive oil and some of the pasta water so the pesto would mix nicely with the angel hair. The pasta water was mainly so the noodles would not clump together. This was a huge hit. Very delicious. The garlic seems to balance with the cilantro so neither strong flavor dominates the other. The almonds added an unexpected crunchy texture, too. What a great way to add in some protein. We will definitely make this again.
I’m so glad to hear that you liked it! I love the idea of using lemon olive oil. I have some in my pantry right now, so I have to try it!
can u give me idea of recipe u made with the pesto … i just love cilantro and pesto so i will try for sure .. thank
I usually just put it on pasta or chicken, but you could use it in any recipe that calls for pesto sauce. I add some to mayonnaise for sandwiches, too.
I think this would be wonderful on shrimp and fish tacos as well!
This is the best pesto I have ever tasted. it is addictive… I cannot eat enough. It has become a regular in my refrigerator. keep up the good work…
Thanks!! I’m happy to hear that you like it so much.
i’m a little confused as to how this is dairy free.
This recipe is not dairy free. When I published this recipe, we were not eating dairy free. But if you want to make this recipe dairy free, you just have to leave out the cheese. You could substitute it wish 2 more tablespoons almonds + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast.
Ok, thanks! 🙂
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Great on beet spirals. Also tried it low FODMAP: saute garlic cloves in the olive oil then remove cloves and cool oil before processing.
Great on beet spirals. Also tried it low FODMAP: saute garlic cloves in the olive oil then remove cloves and cool oil before processing.