Pistachio Pesto

Name: Pistachio Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 12 tablespoons
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil; ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese; Juice of ½ lemon; 1 tsp garlic; ½ tsp salt; ¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil; ¼ cup pistachios

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings
12 tablespoons
Calories
90 kcal
Course
Main Course, Condiments
Cuisine
Italian

Pistachio Pesto

Dominic Levy

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This recipe replaces the traditional pine nuts in pesto with a unique flavor… pistachios! Make this recipe for a nuttier, slightly sweeter pesto recipe that pairs well with pasta, pizza, proteins, and more.

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Ingredients

Servings

2 cups fresh basil
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup pistachios with no shells, unroasted, unsalted

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Instructions

Add all ingredients (including pistachios) into a blender and blend. Add more olive oil incrementally if the pesto needs to be thinner.

Notes

Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
Use fresh basil leaves for this recipe
I use high quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese. It should be grated finely so that it looks like snow. This is worth splurging on for a great recipe.
I use a freshly squeezed lemon, but you can also use prepackaged juice if preferred
Choose unroasted, unsalted pistachios without shells. If you are having a difficult time finding these, you can use roasted pistachios. The key here is no additional salt.
If you want some extra lemon flavor, you can zest the lemon peel into the pesto as well
If you don’t like pistachios, you can use walnuts, almonds,
pine nuts
, macadamia nuts, pecans, or anything else that sounds delicious
You can make the pesto with a mortar and pesto for a more traditional texture, but if you want a thinner texture, a blender is a great way to prepare it.
You can preserve pesto by freezing it. If you want to freeze individual portions (to add to a serving of pasta, etc) you can freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray. After frozen, pop the pesto cubes out and store them in a plastic bag.
If your pesto tastes too olive-oily, allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving. When olive oil warms up, its taste gets a lot stronger. A room temperature pesto on warm pasta will be a great combo if you don’t like a strong olive oil taste.
Basil: Use fresh basil leaves for this recipe
Parmesan Cheese: I use high quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese. It should be grated finely so that it looks like snow. This is worth splurging on for a great recipe.
Lemon Juice: I use a freshly squeezed lemon, but you can also use prepackaged juice if preferred
Pistachios: Choose unroasted, unsalted pistachios without shells. If you are having a difficult time finding these, you can use roasted pistachios. The key here is no additional salt.
If you want some extra lemon flavor, you can zest the lemon peel into the pesto as well
If you don’t like pistachios, you can use walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, or anything else that sounds delicious
You can make the pesto with a mortar and pesto for a more traditional texture, but if you want a thinner texture, a blender is a great way to prepare it.
You can preserve pesto by freezing it. If you want to freeze individual portions (to add to a serving of pasta, etc) you can freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray. After frozen, pop the pesto cubes out and store them in a plastic bag.
If your pesto tastes too olive-oily, allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving. When olive oil warms up, its taste gets a lot stronger. A room temperature pesto on warm pasta will be a great combo if you don’t like a strong olive oil taste.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1tablespoon Calories 90kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 1g (0%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Cholesterol 1mg (0%) Sodium 131mg (5%) Potassium 44mg (1%) Fiber 0.3g (1%) Sugar 0.3g (1%) Vitamin A 238IU (5%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 35mg (4%) Iron 0.3mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12tablespoons

Amount Per Serving

Calories 90 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1tablespoon
Calories	90kcal	5%
Carbohydrates	1g	0%
Protein	1g	2%
Fat	9g	14%
Saturated Fat	2g	10%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	6g	30%
Cholesterol	1mg	0%
Sodium	131mg	5%
Potassium	44mg	1%
Fiber	0.3g	1%
Sugar	0.3g	1%
Vitamin A	238IU	5%
Vitamin C	2mg	2%
Calcium	35mg	4%
Iron	0.3mg	2%