This unique Anaheim Chile Cilantro Pesto goes great with a multitude of foods, from stuffed peppers to a veggie dip. This recipe brings out the flavor of fresh Anaheim Chiles and can be used in the same way as any other pesto.

This recipe is naturally gluten free.

Watch a Video

Here is a video of 2 Cooks in the Kitchen making Anaheim Chile Cilantro Pesto:

Ingredients For Anaheim Chile Cilantro Pesto

• 8 Anaheim Chiles, peeled and seeds removed
• 1 Cup Pine Nuts
• 1 Bunch Cilantro
• Zest and Juice of 1 Lime
• 8 Garlic Cloves, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Grated Parmeson

Roast The Chiles

We begin with roasting our anaheim chiles. We put them on the barbecue and let them roast, turning occasionally until the skin is charred on all sides. Then we put them in a pot with a lid to steam while they cool down.

Remove Stems, Seeds and Peels

Once they cool we can remove the stems, seeds and peels. We don’t have to worry about keeping the chiles intact so this goes fairly easily.

Blend Chiles, Pine Nuts, Garlic and Cilantro

Now we can put the anaheim chiles, pine nuts, garlic and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to reduce the volume.

Add Lime Juice, Garlic and Salt

Next we add the lime juice and garlic to the food processor. We’re going to process this until it is smooth. Now we’ll add a little salt. Just 1/2 teaspoon at this point. We can add more later if it needs it.

Emulsify the Oil

We need to emulsify the oil. Emulsification makes the oil molecules stick to the water molecules and make a creamy sauce. We do this by pouring oil slowly into the food processor while it is running. You will see the Anaheim Chile Cilantro Pesto change into a creamy sauce while you do this.

Parmesan Cheese

For the last ingredient we will add our grated parmesan cheese. We would love to be scraping flakes off a big wheel of parmagiana but we’ll settle for the packaged variety.

Our Anaheim Chile Cilantro Pesto is ready to use. You can store it in the refrigerator for a week or freeze it for later.

Here are some other interesting sauces you can make:

• Basil Pesto
• Green Goddess Salad Dressing and Dip
• Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• The Best Tomato Sauce Ever
• Red Rocoto Hot Sauce
• Chile Oil

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