Name: Culantro Pesto
Yield: Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves; ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; Freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons pine nuts; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 cup packed fresh culantro leaves; ⅓ cup grated Parmesan and/or Pecorino Romano cheese

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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Almost every time I share a recipe that includes culantro, the recipient thinks it’s a typo. It’s also called recao, and it tastes strikingly like a blend between parsley and cilantro. I love it and have started to use it instead of cilantro in soups, stews, and braised meats. Here’s my take on pesto using this versatile herb. It’s great in chicken salad and on pizza or pasta.

Recipe notes

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