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READY IN 10 mins

Mexican Pesto

Read Reviews (21)

"Classic pesto South of the border style." — Ken from CA

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 6 servings Change Servings

1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup grated cotija cheese
4 cloves garlic

1 serrano chile pepper, seeded
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil

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Directions

Place the pumpkin seeds in a food processor or blender; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add cilantro, cheese, garlic, chile pepper, salt, and olive oil; cover and process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.

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PREP 10 mins
READY IN 10 mins

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Ken, You are Amazing!! This pesto Rocks!! I made it just like it was written. Be careful with the salt, I used kosher salt and along with the cheese, I thought it was a little too salty,my fault. I Still loved it. We don't like our food screaming hot so I made it with 2 tbs of chopped canned jalapeno peppers. I made grilled carne asada to go with this and wrapped the meat along with the pesto in corn tortillas. Fabulous!! Thanks again Ken!

—Patty Cakes

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May 17, 2010

I've made this twice and the only change was to not use the full amount of oil so I wouldn't feel bad eating it all in one sitting. First time I topped blackened chicken breast,pasta and halved cherry tomatoes with this for a very easy and yummy meal. The second time my father ate most of the batch himself on tortilla chips after saying he didn't like cilantro. Very good!

—linda2d

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24 Ratings

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Apr 13, 2010

The salt may or may not be needed depending on the Cotija you use. Some can be overly salty. A good sub would be Romano cheese if you don't have Cotija

—Ken from CA

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Apr 15, 2010

This stuff is awesome! I followed the recipe exactly, and served it with fetticuini noodles and chicken milensa. The flavors went so well together, the spicy balanced out by the garlic and cilantro! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

—SB

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Apr 26, 2010

This was excellent...I used pine nuts instead of the pumpkin seeds (what I had)...I didnt add salt the cheese was very salty.....I reccomend you taste it before adding additional salt....I served it over salmon .fillets...thank you for the great recipe!

—pixiestix

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Nov 04, 2010

Fantastic, just as I expected! I had to use Parmesan because I couldn't find cotija, but it was still AMAZING! Served over seared Tuna Steaks. Can't wait to use it again.

—Kathleen

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Jan 10, 2011

Used feta instead of cojita and worked out perfectly!

—tem0627

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Jul 06, 2010

Easy and Delicious. I used a jalepeno instead of a serrano because I am a wimp and subbed some of the olive oil with chicken stock to cut calories. I served this over grilled chicken breast and it was wonderul. I can't wait to have leftovers later this week

—LindaT

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Nutrition

Calories
176 kcal
9%

Carbohydrates
2.4 g
< 1%

Cholesterol
6 mg
2%

Fat
17.8 g
27%

Fiber
0.6 g
2%

Protein
2.9 g
6%

Sodium
262 mg
10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Mexican Pesto

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 176
Calories from Fat: 161

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17.8g 27 %
Saturated Fat 3.4g 17 %
Cholesterol 6mg 2 %
Sodium 262mg 10 %
Potassium 111mg 3 %
Total Carbohydrates 2.4g < 1 %
Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2 %
Protein 2.9g 6 %
** Sugars 0.2g
Vitamin A 13 %
Vitamin C 6 %
Calcium 6 %
Iron 12 %
Thiamin 2 %
Niacin 6 %
Vitamin B6 4 %
Magnesium 13 %
Folate 5 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.