Green Chile Pesto with Roasted Chayote Squash

Inspired by Rick Bayless's green chile adobo, this beautiful pesto goes great in a roasted chayote side dish, or warm salad. If you can't find chayote, use grilled zucchini or other summer squash, or even something like acorn or delicata squash. You can add 2 limes' worth of juice right to the pesto if you're going to use it all at once as a sauce for something. Otherwise, this keeps longer in the fridge if you omit it and add the juice of 1 lime to the chayote instead.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 243 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 poblano pepper
• 6 serrano peppers
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro with stems
• ½ bunch fresh Italian parsley
• 3 chayote squash
• ⅓ cup crumbled soft goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds, or to taste (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Place serrano chiles and garlic in the hot skillet. Cook until blistered and browned on the outside and slightly softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Roast poblano over an open flame until blackened all over; wrap up in a paper towel to let steam.

Step 3

Place serranos and garlic in a bowl; let cool until safe to handle. Peel the garlic and remove stems and seeds from serranos and poblano.

Step 4

Place cilantro and parsley in a blender. Add peppers, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Pulse on and off, scraping down the sides if necessary, until puree is fairly smooth and slightly coarse. Store pesto in a bowl until ready to use.

Step 5

Halve and quarter chayote lengthwise. Remove seeds and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place on a lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and salt.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until chayote is just barely fork-tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add lime juice, 2 to 3 heaping spoonfuls of pesto, and goat cheese. Transfer salad to a serving dish and garnish with pumpkin seeds.