Why You Need to Make Pistachio Pesto
Fresh basil, pistachios, lemon juice make a delightful summer pesto, which can be frozen and enjoyed in the winter.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Italian Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Angela Roberts
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh picked basil leaves
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon roasted salted pistachios
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped before processing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- dash of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For completion by hand
- 1/2 cup tablespoon freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
- 2 tablespoon butter
Place all ingredients except cheese into a food processor. You must chop the garlic first, which makes it much better to process and doesn't become a juice.
I don't like to use a food processor for this because I can pulse it and keep some texture, which I prefer.
Add the cheese by hand.
Regarding cheese, sometimes I just use pecorino romano. You can also use parmesan cheese.
If you are adding this to pasta, reserve some pasta water (3 tablespoons or so) a little at a time to extend the pasta.
You may also heat the pesto on very very low and add in heavy cream for a creamy pesto pasta.