Cilantro Pesto Recipe - w/ Roasted Cashews & Lime Juice (2024)

Tasty, easy, and versatile!

This is SOOOO good!

I had an amazing Cilantro pesto pasta in Genoa, Italy this past week. By far my favorite meal on my Euro trip. I used this recipe, but subbed the olive oil for butter and used water from my boiled pasta to thin it out. It’s almost an exact match! Next time, I think I’ll add a little bit of heavy cream and it should be on point.

Can you freeze this?

So green and fresh tasting! If you like cilantro you can just skip basil pesto.

Hi Jennifer, this looks fabulous and I’m looking forward to making this tonight. Just wondering if there’s a reason why you use shredded parmesan instead of grated? I have both but curious about your preference. Thanks!

We did not have cashews in our pantry, so we made without nuts, and it was still divine! Will try next time, though. Cannot wait to drizzle on baked potatoes, toast, and eggs.

One of the best dishes I have ever eaten!!!! I was craving a pesto dish and found this recipe. We paired it with grilled teriyaki pork loin and served over gluten free pasta and everyone loved it, even our 2 and 4 year olds. Our 2 year old was eating it with tortilla chips even before serving. I told my husband this is one of the best dishes I have ever eaten and would pay $17.00 for this meal at a restaurant. This recipe was excellent and will be made on a regular basis! Yum!!!

Can I use pine nuts? And if so, should I roast them as well? I grew a huge crop of cilantro and need to use it before it bolts, so how can I store this pesto long term? Thanks for your advice 🙂

I just made this, using about 50/50 cilantro/parsley instead of all cilantro because I have a lot of both in the garden. Also instead of garlic, I used garlic scapes (also from the garden and have to be used up). The result is absolutely outstanding! I really love the hint of lime and the cashews. Terrific recipe, thank you!

I have a large cilantro plant and was looking for a way to use it. This seems like a great option. Have you ever tried to can this instead of freezing for longer storage?

Good recipe. Simple and tasty. so good! I often freeze for later use. Thanks!

Loved it! I added a 1/4 top lime zest too!

Yummy

I love cilantro! This looks great! Can you substitute cotija cheese for the parmesan? I have read it is considered “Mexican parmesan”.Re: your garden. If you have any kind of outdoor space that gets sun, purchase some inexpensive containers, (Dollar Tree – $1 ea.) drill small holes to let water drain, fill with dirt then your herbs. I have several. One for cilantro, parsley, basil, dill and mint!

Going to make now!

I’ve made this a couple times now- love it. Great on pasta, quesadillas, as a sandwich spread. I used almonds because that’s what I had in the house-worked great.

This recipe is to die for! I tend to be a snob on pesto and using basil for it…I love this! I put a couple of spins on it, always have to put my signature on a recipe 😉 I was walnuts, toasted and chopped along with some roasted, salted sunflower seeds. AND, I added some fresh spinach (about a cup) to stretch the greens. Super yummy!😋

Amazing!!!!!

Loved this pesto – thank you!! I’ll be making this regularly from now on!

A+ I added 3 times the garlic excellent

Everyone who eats this and I’ve made it like 5 times in two weeks…loves it. I prefer it over basil and much more economical. I will say there is a difference with organic cilantro and not. I used the not and it wasn’t nearly as tasty and full flavor, just an FYI…

I had lost the recipe… someone posted one and I used the words and found your site… this is EXCELLENT and I put it on everything… English muffin with egg and pesto on top! The BEST! 69 years old and loving the good food! Besides, it removes heavy metals from your body!

We put up about a gallon of cilantro pesto into the freezer each summer to last us thru winter. Sometimes I use ice cube trays to make blocks but if I am lazy that summer I’ll just freeze it pancake style and break off what I need. My favorite recipe with it is to saute a couple of blocks with a half stick of butter for about five minutes… just enough to take the edge off. Mix that with halved cherry tomatoes and medium diced cukes to top onto a plate of pasta. But it has endless uses. The imagination runs wild with it in the freezer.

I’ve been making pesto wrongly all this time until I found this recipe. This is so delicious, especially when combined with your Pesto Pasta Salad recipe!! Thank you so much!!!

I grow many kinds of basil in the summer but not enough to freeze. Price of fresh basil & pine nuts is too high. My solution? I use spinach and unsalted sunflower kernels. I make batches and freeze them to have a quick meal. Spinach pesto complements shrimp very nicely. Thank you for the cilantro idea. I will try that next time.

Me, too! Thanks Marcie! 🙂

I think my husband would freak out if I made this (he hates cilantro), but that’s OK because that means there would be more for me! 😀 Love it!

I love the gratuitous Parmesan shot.

I am drooling over here – this looks absolutely delish and I love the cilantro twist on the classic pesto – and the video – so cute!

Love homemade pesto! This looks delicious! I love the gorgeous colour! 🙂

I love making pesto! Frequently I run out of basil and just sub whatever green I have like parsley or even spinach. Can’t wait to try this version!

I looooove making pesto, but I agree with you, I hate buying the tiny package of basil for millions of dollars – and seriously, how is it that it always seems to go bad before it gets used? I love that you used cashews here, that is such a great idea! I never buy pine nuts, so I like this sub. I am not a huge fan of cilantro, but I might come around to try this out 🙂

Cilantro pesto?! Yes, please!! This looks fantastic, and I love that it uses cashews (which I always have) instead of pine nuts (nope, never). This recipe will be especially handy in the summer when our garden is producing cilantro by the bundle on a daily basis!

Wow, Cilantro Pesto?! GENIUS. I’m Italian, so traditional pesto runs through my veins but I’d definitely be curious to try this. And then not share because I know some people in my family HATE cilantro. (HOW?!) More for me! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

I have a SERIOUS obsession with pesto and you have for real got me drooling over here! This looks SO amazing and I love that it uses cilantro, rather than the classic basil. I would top everything with this pesto!