Once Upon a Time in the West….”New Mexican Chile Pesto”

~ Teresa Blackburn

I love a great American road trip…one of the best is to drive to Santa Fe via Route 66 and I-40….East to West to East. Just got back from a week or so on the road where many sites were seen, much food eaten, an abundance of conversation, laughter & awe ensued. Some of  stops along the roadways were delicious stops, some iconic, a historical stop or two &  some truly poignant imagery was seen.

“Once Upon a Time in the West……”

A simple recipe for “New Mexico Chile Pesto” 
Pesto Ingredients: 3 roasted, stemmed & peeled New Mexican Chiles (I had some in the freezer from the last trip); 2 handfuls fresh basil; 1/2 to 1 cup toasted pine/Pinon nuts; 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; Juice of one fresh lime;olive oil to drizzle
To Make:
1. Place chiles, basil leaves & pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until chunky. Scrape down sides of processor bowl.
2. Add in Parmesan & squeeze in fresh lime juice. Pulse a few times. I like a more chunky pesto so I don’t over process. You can process to your liking.
3. Add about 1/3 cup olive oil and pulse a few times.
I have been experimenting this summer with gluten-free pastas and bread products. A box of Quinoa pasta was in my pantry that I thought would go well with this pesto. I was right. The Quinoa pasta was just the right texture to stand up to this very spicy pesto. I found this and many other gluten-free pastas at The Turnip Truck here in Nashville. There is absolutely none of the sometimes unpleasant texture or taste that gluten-free products can have.
To Serve:
I picked a few little tomatoes from my heat-stroked garden and cut them up. Cooked the pasta al dente. Partially drained the pasta and returned it “wet” back to the pan….added a few dollops of the chile pesto and tossed it all together.
Movie suggestions while eating this flavorful ode to New Mexico “Once Upon a Time in the West” directed by Sergio Leone, 1968 with Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale & Jason Robards. Or how about “Cowboys and Aliens” currently in cinemas which takes place in New Mexico.
Music suggestions? There are so many…”Once Upon a Time In the West” Dire Straits, “How Will the Wolf Survive” Los Lobos, “The Border” Willie Nelson, “Willin'” Little Feat, the sound track to “All the Pretty Horses”Marty Stuart……….
 Adios…

22 thoughts on “Once Upon a Time in the West….”New Mexican Chile Pesto””

  11. Glad you are home ! This is my favorite blog this year. The pictures are beautiful and I can’t wait for some of the pesto…hint hint.

    Reply

  12. Thanks for the journey. makes me want to jump in my car and head out for adventure but I guess I’ll stay home and make pesto instead.

    Reply

  13. Teresa I was going to check my email real quick and got totally immersed in your post. What a fabulous way to start my Sunday–beautiful photos, great food with a cup of Sumatra. Thanks for sharing. Jill

    Reply

  16. Teresa, I’m so envious of your road trip. When I grow up I wanna be a side-road attraction. “Stop here to see the Rusty Old Food Photographer.” Na … maybe I’ll just work on my barbed wire collection. Ha!

    Reply
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