4.2 from 36 votes
Pesto Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
Pesto Pasta with Pistachio Pesto is the best pasta dinner! It takes exactly 5 mins to make, keeps in your fridge for at least a month and you can use it on anything.
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 659 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- 1 lb bag of fresh fettuccine pasta ( use gluten free pasta if needed)
For the pesto
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1/2 cup packed spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 1 large garlic clove ( or 2 smaller ones)
- Juice of 1 lemon ( about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese ( use 1 teaspoon of mustard if vegan)
- 1/4 cup -1/3 cup of olive oil
Toppings
- Extra fresh grated Parmesan for sprinkling (optional)
- Lemon zest and crushed pistachios for sprinkling (optional)
- **optional: 1/4 cup of heavy cream
Notes
- Cook your chicken and then toss it in pesto sauce over the cooked pasta. Alternatively, you can use rotisserie chicken for convenience. Grabbing a rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite ways to save time!
- Just as is! If you'd like to add protein, you can do so with chicken, seafood, or steak. Garlic bread is a nice touch as well.
- I recommend adding pesto sauce pretty much to your taste, but in general, one pound of pasta would need around 1/2 cup of basil pesto.
- Make this pistachio pesto vegan by substituting the parmesan cheese with a tsp of mustard.
- For a plate of creamy pistachio pesto pasta, add 1/4 cup of cream to the freshly cooked pasta along with the pesto.
- Finish your pasta with some freshly grated lemon zest and parmesan on top for the ultimate pasta experience!
- How to make Chicken Pesto Pasta?
- Cook your chicken and then toss it in pesto sauce over the cooked pasta. Alternatively, you can use rotisserie chicken for convenience. Grabbing a rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite ways to save time!
- Just as is! If you'd like to add protein, you can do so with chicken, seafood, or steak. Garlic bread is a nice touch as well.
- I recommend adding pesto sauce pretty much to your taste, but in general, one pound of pasta would need around 1/2 cup of basil pesto.
- Store pesto in the fridge for up to a week in a jar with the lid. Freeze pesto on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and once it's frozen place it in a freezer-safe container. When you are ready for some pesto sauce just break off the amount you need. Wrapped in parchment in a zipper bag, pesto sauce will keep in the freezer for up to eight months!
- You can refrigerate the mixed pesto pasta in an airtight container for up to three days, and add a pat of butter and perhaps a bit of water to reheat in the microwave.