Best 9 Pumpkin Seed Pesto Recipes

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pumpkin seeds with salt and pepper to taste, stirring constantly, until seeds are puffed and beginning to pop (some will brown, but do not let all of them), about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and cool completely.
• Pulse seed mixture in a food processor with water, cilantro, scallions, and remaining 4 tablespoons oil until mixture forms a coarse paste (not finely ground). Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

PAN-SEARED SALMON WITH PUMPKIN SEED-CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin seeds; sauté until beginning to brown and pop, about 2 minutes. Transfer seeds to paper towels to drain; let cool. Reserve skillet.
• Pulse 6 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, cilantro, coriander seeds, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. With machine running, gradually add 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, then 1/4 cup water, blending until coarse purée forms. Season pesto to taste with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired.
• Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in reserved skillet over medium heat. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook until just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes per side. Place fillets on plates. Spoon pesto over. Garnish with remaining pumpkin seeds. Serve with lime wedges.

SPICY ROASTED SQUASH SOUP WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Make toasts:
• Trim and discard crusts from bread. Spread 1 side of each slice evenly with butter and season with salt and pepper. Halve slices diagonally to form triangles and arrange, buttered sides up, on a baking sheet. Toast bread, turning once, in middle of oven until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool.
• Make soup:
• Put squash, cut sides down, in 2 greased shallow baking pans and roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool and scoop out flesh.
• Purée squash in batches in a blender with jalapeño, cumin, and broth until very smooth (add additional water as needed to facilitate puréeing).Transfer to a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and stir in 5 cups water. Simmer, stirring, 10 minutes, then stir in lemon juice, enough water to thin to desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve soup in bowls topped with slices of toast spread with pesto.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CORIANDER AND PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/350°F/gas 4.
• Remove skin, fibres and seeds of the squash/pumpkin and cut into cubes (mine were approximately 5-6cm). (You may also want to leave the skin on and remove after roasting if this is easier with the particular squash/pumpkin you are using.) Rub the squash pieces with sunflower oil and season well with salt and pepper. Put them into a small roasting tin (skin-side down if skin wasn't removed). Roast for about 40 minutes or until tender.
• Remove squash from oven and remove skin when cool enough to handle if you haven't done so earlier. You may also want to cut squash into smaller chunks if your pieces are rather big. I didn't cut mine any smaller, as I preferred to cut my squash into smallish chunks before roasting.
• Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onion and cook gently for about 10minutes until the onion is very soft but not browned. Add the roasted squash, and any juices from the plate and the stock. Note: I used 1.2 litres of water, but only stock cubes for 1 litre, as you have salted your squash before roasting it, and you will also add parmesan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until squash is ready to be liquidised.
• Meanwhile, make the PESTO:.
• Heat a dry, heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and shake them around until lightly toasted. Cool, reserving 1 tablespoon of seeds to garnish.
• Put the rest of the seeds into a food processor with the chilli, garlic, fresh coriander and oil. Blend to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the parmesan, seasoning to taste.
• Finish SOUP:.
• Leave the soup to cool slightly, then liquidise in batches until smooth. Note: I always use a high pan and a hand-held liquidiser, so I don't need to remove and return the soup. Return to a clean pan and bring back to a gentle simmer. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the pesto (I stirred in all of it, although it was more than 4 tablespoons, but stir in four and check how you like it)and adjust the seasoning.
• SERVE:.
• Ladle into warmed bowls and add a spoonful of sour cream, and sprinkle with the reserved pumkin seeds and coriander leaves.
• If you haven't used the whole amount of pesto before, serve it at the table, so everybody can stir in more if desired. Another possibility is to top crackers or toasted bread with it and serve together with the soup.

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread seeds on a baking pan. Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• In the bowl of a food processor combine seeds, parsley, garlic, chile, and cinnamon. Pulse to combine. With processor running, slowly add oil in a steady stream until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Toss sauce with hot pasta; garnish with freshly grated Parmesan. Serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH PUMPKIN-SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
• Toss butternut squash with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then arrange in 1 layer in a 17- by 12- by 1-inch baking pan and roast, turning occasionally, until golden brown on edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast pumpkin seeds in 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until seeds are puffed and beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and cool.
• Pulse cooled seeds in a food processor with cilantro, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and remaining tablespoon oil to a coarse paste (not finely ground).
• Toss squash with pesto and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

PUMPKIN SEED ARUGULA PESTO SAUCE (VEGAN)

Steps:

• Toast the pumpkin seeds by placing them in a skillet on medium heat until they start to brown a bit. (Or by placing in a baking dish in the oven at 475F for 8-10 minutes.).
• Place the toasted seeds in a food processor and grind until fine.
• Add the garlic and salt then pulse again.
• While the food processor is running, add handfuls of arugula and parsley through the top opening of the machine.
• Keep adding as these get blended in until all of the greens are incorporated.
• Pour the oil through the top opening and continue blending.
• You might have to stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
• Add more salt or oil to reach your desired flavor, then scoop the sauce into a jar, it will keep for about a week.

PUMPKIN SEED, BASIL AND MISO PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325*.
• Toast pumpkin seeds for 5 minutes.
• Place seeds and all remaining ingredients in a food processor andblend until smooth.
• Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to five days.

HORSERADISH-PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Finely grind pumpkin seeds and horseradish in a food processor. Add cilantro and lime juice; pulse until cilantro is finely chopped. With motor running, stream in 1/4 cup oil; process just to combine. Add more oil if pesto is too thick; season with salt.
• Do Ahead
• Pesto can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.