This sauce, for my husband, is the pastrami to his rye. The basil to his tomato. The mustard to his hot dog. OK, maybe not that last one. The point is – he loves this sauce and could eat it on top of anything. It’s a great condiment to have on hand to jazz up roasted meat or wake up weeknight leftovers. It’s based on this jarred condiment sold by Swad in Indian grocery stores called “Coriander Chutney” but oh so much better. Kind of a chutney-pesto hybrid. And boy do they make good babies.

There’s the kick from the garlic and a nice edge from the green chili. Trust me, you need both to stand up to the bold, verdant flavor of the cilantro.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch cilantro (about 4 cups, unpacked)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 green chili (use more if you like it hot)
• 2 tbsps lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil (plus more if needed)

Directions:

Rinse the cilantro to get rid of any dirt/grime. Rough chop, then toss in the food processor. Give the garlic and green chili a rough chop, too. Add them to the guest list. Add salt and lime juice and start the processor. While running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly to help emulsify. If it’s not coming together to a nice saucy consistency, add more oil. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Here I used it in lieu of basil pesto over roasted shrimp and linguine. Yum!