Pumpkin Seed Pesto

½ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Heat a large, heavy skillet over low-to-medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook, tossing them occasionally, until the seeds are fragrant and slightly puffed, 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, use a large mortar and pestle to crush the garlic and salt into a paste. Add the pumpkin seeds and grind the mixture into a coarse powder. Add the oil; use the pestle to incorporate the oil until well blended. Add the cayenne pepper and stir to incorporate. The pesto should be moist but crumbly.

Use the pesto immediately; or store it, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Makes 10 tablespoons.

Cook's notes: This rustic paste is drier than most herb pestos. Try this strewed over a platter of roasted beets or, in summer, over thinly sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes; it's also good as a spread for flatbread or folded into soups or pasta dishes.

Nutrition values per tablespoon: 60 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 2 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 120 mg sodium.

Emily Horton