Cilantro and Toasted Almond Pesto |
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Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 10 Minutes Servings: 5 |
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Instead of pine nuts, this pesto uses slivered almonds, that have been toasted, for extra flavor. The mixture is pureed with a modest amounto of extra-virgin Olive oil and cheese, such as Parrmigiano-Reggiano, to get the finest flavour, The sauce also is blended with a few tablespoons of fresh lime juice, which bump up the taste even more and enhances the freshness of the cilantro. The resulting sauce is lighter than most basil pestos and makes an excellent topping for fish, poultry, or flatbread. If you like, swirl a spoonful into your favorite soup as a flavor-boosting garnish. If you serve the pesto with pasta, thin it with a bit of the starchy pasta cooking water. This helps to stretch the pesto (while cutting fat and calories) and gives it more coating power. Ingredients:
3 tablespoons slivered almonds |
2 cups chopped cilantro (1 large bunch) |
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil |
3 tablespoons lime juice |
3 garlic cloves, chopped |
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, gratede |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
ground black pepper, to taste |
Directions:
1. In a small, dry skillet over medium-low , stir slivered almonds until fragrant and ligfhtly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 5 minutes.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine almonds, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
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