Cilantro Pesto Pasta

This is pesto with a passport. Instead of basil and pine nuts, this sauce runs on fresh cilantro, creamy macadamia nuts, ginger, garlic, lime juice, and a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes. The result tastes somewhere between Thai green curry paste and classic Italian pesto, and it clings to spaghetti like it was made for the job.

The food processor does all the work. Pulse everything until smooth, then add a splash of hot starchy pasta water to loosen it into a sauce. That pasta water is the glue that helps the pesto hug every strand instead of sliding off.

Cook the spaghetti to true al dente. An extra minute in the pot and it loses its grip on the sauce.

Kitchen Tips

• Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. Extra liquid lets you loosen the sauce on the fly.
• Toss the hot pasta with the pesto off the heat. Cooking pesto dulls the herbs and turns the garlic harsh.
• Use raw macadamias, not roasted-salted. Salted nuts throw off the seasoning balance.
• Taste the sauce before tossing. Limes vary wildly in acidity; you may want more or less.

Variations

• Swap macadamias for cashews, pistachios, or toasted almonds.
• Add a tablespoon of fish sauce for a deeper savory backbone.
• Stir in grilled shrimp, shredded rotisserie chicken, or charred corn for a main-course version.