Coriander pesto

In my previous post for green beans and pesto I mentioned that Steve objects to the addition of chilli flakes to the dish to give it a little kick.  In a bid to spice up pasta generally I thought I would try to make coriander pesto.  This activity wasn't solely to irritate Steve - the results are actually quite tasty.  It takes only a few minutes to make fresh pesto and you can restrict the amount of oil and cheese that you use making it a much healthier option than shop bought varieties.


Serves 3-4


Ingredients

• 50 grams pine nuts 
• 2 cloves garlic - peeled
• 1 green chilli - top removed (use 2 chillis if you prefer spicy food)
• 50 grams coriander - washed
• 50 grams parmesan - grated
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt
• Black pepper - freshly ground

Method

1. Heat a completely clean and dry pan for several minutes until it is so hot that a drop of water evaporates immediately.
2. Now add the pine nuts and toss until they start to colour. Be careful not to dry roast them for too long as they will burn.  Leave to one side to cool.
3. Place the garlic and chillis in a food processor and blitz them until finely chopped.
4. Add the coriander, pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice.  Blitz in the food processor until you achieve the consistency you require.  If the pesto looks too dry add a little more olive oil.
5. Season to taste.
6. Serve with pasta.