Cilantro Mint Pesto

Ah, the laziness of summer. We can just wander out to the garden, gather a few fresh and abundant herbs, boil some water, push some buttons, and make a fabulously savory and satisfying dish. Really, that’s barely an exaggeration when this perky pesto made from the cilantro and mint I have growing in the back yard is involved.

This pesto is from a recipe I used to make ages ago that I got from CookingLight Magazine. That publication provided most of my lesson plans back then as I was teaching myself to cook. The ingredients and dishes are interesting, and the recipes are well-written, and I used to follow them exactly. This pesto was part of a recipe with penne pasta, chicken, and cherry tomatoes, and when I recorded it as a good one, I recorded that whole dish.

I hadn’t made this pesto in forever, though not for any reason I can possibly fathom. I’ve had an unreasonably huge patch of mint for years, and cilantro is easy to come by, especially right now in my garden. No excuses this year. And after being reminded of just how delicious this really is, no clue about why I’ve been the kind of lazy dunderhead who isn’t making this all the time.

The cilantro and mint form a curious combination that isn’t dominated by either herb. The savory cilantro, one of my favorite things ever, just gets a bit of a blanket of minty vapor that makes it even better. Overall, the duo is a wonderful blend, savory and verdant, fragrant and lip-smackingly delicious.

That herbal powerhouse is even further enhanced by a punch of heat from a chile pepper (your choice of variety, or leave it out if you don’t like the spicy), and some mellow acidity from a splash of sherry vinegar. Like other herb pestos, this one gets a foundation of nuts (pecans), Parmesan cheese and good olive oil. There’s plenty of salt as well, which I like, but if you’re salt-sensitive, you could hold some back.

You could toss this pesto with pasta and cherry tomatoes, like I did recently, or you could add cooked chicken, like in the inspiration dish I mentioned above. I also think you could add roasted peppers, olives, black beans, or corn. This pesto could be used as a sauce on a rustic pizza or a thin layer could accompany the cheese in a quesadilla. You could also play around with the ratios of the herbs and chiles. I know I will, now that I’m totally unafraid to deviate from even a well-written recipe. Especially in these relaxed days of summer when I’m too lazy to even make proper measurements!

Spicy Cilantro Mint Pesto

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2005

1 ½ cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

½ cup mint

1/3 Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

¼ cup toasted pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt

2 medium-size garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium-size chile pepper, chopped

2 tsp sherry vinegar

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ olive oil

1. Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is a well-ground paste, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.

2. While processing, slowly add the olive oil through the opening in the top of the processor lid. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Makes about 1 cup pesto.

Other recipes like this one: Basic Basil Pesto, Arugula Pesto with Kalamata Olives, Parsley Hazelnut Pesto, Radish Leaf and Peanut Pesto, Spinach Chive Pesto

One year ago: Pasta with Snap Peas, Sage, and Breadcrumbs

Pasta with Zucchini, Corn and Mint

You can see the pattern. I know you can. Whatever the season, I manage to make pasta tossed with vegetables and a bit of cream (or half and half), often flavored with lemon. In the spring I made this version with asparagus and sugar snap peas and shortly before that it was caramelized onions and arugula (and red wine vinegar instead of lemon). In the winter it was roasted orange and prosciutto and in another summer, it was corn, yellow summer squash and bacon (again, no lemon).

My most recent variation on this theme included shredded zucchini (‘tis the season after all), fresh corn and fresh mint. I like to shred zucchini for pasta dishes, especially if I’m going to use a long pasta like spaghetti. It cooks down quickly to create a smooth texture that blends in well with the noodles. The addition of cream makes that texture even more luscious and since zucchini doesn’t have a particularly assertive flavor of its own, it picks up the other flavors in the dish, namely the lemon and mint.

The lemon juice and zest give the creamy sauce a nice bit of citrusy brightness and the sweet corn balances that flavor. The fresh mint, which is growing in proliferation in my own backyard, is a wonderful addition. I think there are many herbs that would do in its place, especially basil and possibly oregano, or you could just stir in a couple dollops of pesto if you have some on hand. There are other vegetables you could add as well, such as thinly sliced bell peppers (cook them with the onions) or shredded carrots (cook a little longer than the zucchini).

Well, as you can guess from my tendency to fall back on this style of dish for quick weeknight cooking, I could go on forever about variations, omissions, inclusions and flavor combinations. This is a basic idea that works really well and no matter what vegetables and herbs are in season, they could probably be featured in a pasta dish with citrus (or vinegar) and cream somehow. So, go forth and vary this theme to your own desire!

Pasta with Zucchini, Corn, and Fresh Mint

You could use half and half in place of the cream.

8 ounces dry spaghetti or other long pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
kernels from 1 ear fresh corn (about 1 cup)
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon lemon zest
juice of ½ lemon
a few grinds black pepper
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to brown, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds more.

3. Add the zucchini, corn, water and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is soft, about 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper.

4. Add the cooked pasta, heavy cream and mint.  Toss to coat the pasta and cook until the mint is wilted. Stir in the ¼ cup Parmesan. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Makes about 4 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Pasta with Yellow Squash, Cornand Bacon; Pasta with Asparagus, Snap Peas and Lemon; Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Arugula; Pasta with Kale, Summer Squash Olives and Feta Cheese.

One year ago: Fried Squash Flowers with Fresh Sage