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5.0 from 3 votes

Pistachio Pesto

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.

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

Ingredients

  • 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

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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

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

% 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%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.