Coriander Pesto Pasta sauce is literally a 5 Minute, super tasty  wonder sauce that can be whipped up just with a blend.

Post updated on 06/06/17 with new pictures. This post is kind of special to me, as there was steep improvment in my photography from this post since 2015 and still getting better. So when I made this sauce today, I wanted to update the pictures and mark the difference for myself. Can you guys makes out any improvement ?

There is absolutely no compromise with taste, fresh herby flavours yet very simple. Hardly a week would pass without this fragrant herb, all wrapped up and cosy inside the fridge. Oh yes !! I am talking about Coriander also referred  to as Cilantro. A sambar is veritably referred to as Coriander Sambar at home as it has to be jazzed with this herb, A must in my dal ( Lentil Soup), A must in the curry’s and now A definite yes in my pasta sauce.

Until a few years back, elders in the family thought Pasta is absolutely unhealthy { thinking its like ramen}  and it cannot be treated upto the standards of Rice or Phulkas. My mom was no different until she actually tasted my homemade pasta salad with just her choice of vegetables. Amma fell for it and loves it loaded with chopped jalapenos apart from our regular veggies like pepper, sweet corn and more. Some grated cheese and its an absolute delight.
This year I introduced her to my coriander pesto pasta with some potatoes and peas. She loved it… ( It turned out slightly dry since I was reserved with my use of Olive Oil ) , otherwise worth it.
Its a considerable choice even on vrath days , dont you agree with me ? A no onion , no garlic sauce, yet full package !
If you have a lot of pesto sauce left, consider using it as dipping sauce too..

My definition to pasta sauce was limited to white sauce, tomato & basil and rarely store bought Basil pesto. May be a year ago, when we visited a dear friend of ours for dinner, she has quickly wwhizzed up a Basil Coriander Pesto Sauce and it was scrumptious.

The very same week , I was tempted to try the same sauce and later went on to make just the fresh Original Coriander Pesto Sauce. In India Coriander is also referred to as Hara Dhaniya , Kothamili and more. Across the globe this aromatic herb is called Cilantro , quite extensively used in Mexico Cuisine.
All the parts of Cilantro herb is edible , but traditionally we use only the fresh leaves and the seeds.  But for this pesto recipe , you could add some stem too if you like.

There are other Pasta sauces and delight recipes in my blog .
Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce 
Veggie Pasta Delight – This pasta is vegetable loaded with a zing from garlic,chillies and ajinomotto.
Pasta Salad

Now.. its a regular affair in my kitchen with all the love. All that the pesto sauce calls for is some coriander , pine nuts ,some green chillies ( an Indian twist) for heat and some olive oil. Lemon Juice for some zing and salt for seasoning.
H and me are more than happy to have a flavor packed Pasta for dinner.We go Nom Nom and have a satisfied pallet.

CORIANDER PESTO SAUCE Total Time Taken : 5 Minutes | Serves 4 people   INGREDIENTS: ½ a Bunch of Coriander Leaves – Approx. 75 gm Handful of Pinenuts Handful of Cashewnuts 1 small squeeze of Lemon Juice 1 Green Chilly  ( Optional ) ½  – ¾ tsp of Salt. Adjust Salt to suit your taste DIRECTIONS: Clean the Coriander leaves and wash it well. In a blender/ mixer, add the coarsely chopped coriander leaves, green chilly & nuts and give it a good blend. Pulse the mixer a couple of times until we achieve a nearly smooth paste. Add a tablespoon of water, if needed to give it a pesto consistency. Squeeze the lemon juice into a mixer along with required amount of salt and blend for one last time. A quicky herby pesto sauce is ready to be served, while you are cooking your pasta. This pasta stays fresh for 3-4 days,when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. How do I serve my Pasta Sauce ?  Heat some oil in a pan  and add pinenuts and fry them until they turn light brown color. The nuttiness of the pinenuts adds a great zing to the pesto pasta.Add the cooked pasta , few tablespoons of freshly made pesto sauce,more olive oil if needed and a good mix with a woode spatula. Some grated cheddar cheese on the top , just before you serve. If you like you could use vegetables like brocolli,green beans, potatoes and peas. I shall cook it up and post it in one of my following blog posts.