A delicious twist on the traditional Italian recipe, your family will love this Lemony Basil Pistachio Pesto. Serve on pasta, drizzle over meat or use as a salad dressing!
Summer food is so easy, so flavorful, and so healthy! I love everything about it. Every week when I visit my local farmers market I come home with loads of fresh ingredients that I’m just itching to turn into meals. In addition to all of the fresh fruits and vegetables, I am also inundated with fresh herbs. Traditionally pesto is made with pine nuts, but this Basil Pistachio Pesto is just as delicious, with a bit of a twist. Best of a bowl of pasta, you can use it in loads of ways including Sausage Pesto Pasta, Pesto Pasta with Salmon and Grilled Pesto Pizza with Mozzarella.
Ingredients
- Basil: Pesto required fresh basil leaves, sweet basil to be exact. It adds sweet, somewhat minty, and peppery flavors to the pesto sauce.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: A hard cheese with a salty, nutty taste that pairs well with the other ingredients in pesto.
- Olive oil: Mild flavored and heart healthy, it adds moisture to the sauce.
- Pistachios: A little bit sweeter than pine nuts, so the finished pesto has a sweet edge to it. The green tint of the nuts also adds to the bright green color.
- Garlic: A little bit spicy, nutty, and pungent in taste.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest add brightness and needed acidity to cut through some of the sweeter flavors.
How to Make Basil Pistachio Pesto
To make your basil pistachio pesto, add all of the ingredients (except olive oil) to a food processor and pulse a couple times to get it started. Making homemade pesto is super easy to do in a food processor. However, you can make it in a blender as well, or the old fashioned way by using a mortar and pestle.
Then drizzle in the olive oil until you reach your desired consistency and the pesto is smooth and creamy. Season to taste with some salt and pepper.
Once finished store in a jar or any other airtight container until ready to serve. Then you’re ready to enjoy your Basil Pistachio Pesto!
Frequently Asked Questions
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More Pasta Recipes
- Sausage Pesto Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Peas
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Crab Linguine in a White Wine Garlic Sauce
- Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Italian Pasta Salad
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Spread on corn on the cob, toss into warm pasta, or drizzle over grilled meats and fish. This Basil Pistachio Pesto can be enjoyed in many ways!
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Basil Pistachio Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 juice and zest of lemon
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Place the first seven ingredients in a high speed food processor and pulse a couple times to start breaking down the pesto.
- With the processor on high speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Puree until smooth and creamy.
- Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Last Step:
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