Name: Soba with Green Chile Pesto
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 4 ounces soba (Japanese-style noodles); Kosher salt; 2 tablespoons white miso; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 3 serrano chiles, 2 halved and seeds removed, 1 thinly sliced; 1 garlic clove, peeled; 2 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, chopped; 2 cups chopped basil leaves, plus torn leaves for serving; 2 cups chopped cilantro; 2 cups trimmed watercress; Toasted sesame seeds (for serving)

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Marcus Nilsson

The key to cooking with chiles is to think of their heat not as a dare but as another essential building block of flavor, right alongside salt, acid, and fat. Rather than overpowering a dish, a perfectly calibrated prickle of spice enhances the other elements and wakes up the palate.

Recipe notes