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5 from 2 votes

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
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Italian Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

  • 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

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

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.