pistachio pesto

This traditional vegetarian Sicilian ricotta and pistachio pasta recipe is beautifully creamy, light and easy to make.  Perfect for summer and weeknight meals!

Sicilian ricotta and pistachio pasta

400 g occhi di lupo pasta ((140z)

pistachios ((7 ounces) raw kernels)

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Parmigiano cheese ((2 ounces) grated)

(for

black pepper (to taste)

Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once the water starts to boil andbring to the boil again.

If your pistachios are unpeeled, put them into a bowl of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain them and wipe them with  a cloth to remove some of the skin covering them.

Save a few pistachios and put the rest in a blender or food processor, add the grated cheese and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Blend/pulse until you have a rough dense pesto. If necessary add more olive oil but as little as possible.

Cream the ricotta in a food processor or with a fork.  Put it in a large pan (big enough to hold the cooked pasta too)

Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.

Just before the pasta is ready, take half a cup of the cooking water and add to thericotta. Stir it in until you have a creamy sauce. Add salt to taste. Then addthe pistachio pesto and stir that in too until it’s totally incorporated in thesauce.

Save a cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Add it to the pan with thesauce.  Add some of the saved pasta cooking water if the sauce seems dry (although it shouldn’t be).

Mix the pasta and the sauce together well. Add ground black pepper. Serve immediately with a few whole pistachios and extra grated cheese if required.

A delicious twist on the Italian classic, your family will love this Lemony Pistachio Basil Pesto. Serve on pasta, drizzle over meat or use as a salad dressing!

Basil Pistachio Pesto

basil (about 2 cups)

Diamond of California Shelled Pistachios

Parmigiano Reggiano

juice and zest of lemon

garlic

salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Place the first seven ingredients in a high speed food processor and pulse a couple times to start breaking down the pesto.

With the processor on high speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Puree until smooth and creamy.

Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

The Perfect Pistachio Pesto Recipe

cups, 200 g pistachio

⅓ cup, 10 g basil

cup, 75 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

½ cup, 100 g olive oil

water

Toast the pistachio nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until they are a light brown colour. Keep them moving to prevent burning.

Add basil leaves, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic clove and a drizzle of oil to a pestle and mortar and grind until creamy.

Add the pistachio and grind until they start to break down into smaller chunks and combine. You should have a creamy yet slightly chunky consistency.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil and continue to grind until you have a creamy paste. We recommend leaving it a little rustic.

This arugula pesto is a fresh, luscious sauce that goes with just about everything! Dollop it on pasta, burgers, chicken, seafood, eggs, vegetables, sandwiches, soup and more. Plus it&#039;s so fast and easy to make you&#039;ll be whipping it up every chance you get.

Arugula Pesto with Pistachios

garlic clove

Parmesan cheese

pistachios

fine sea salt

black pepper

Use the flat side of the knife to press down on the garlic cloves until the peel cracks, then remove and discard the peel.

Add the garlic, arugula, cheese, pistachios and a few grinds of black pepper to a large food processor or high-speedo blender. If using unsalted pistachios, add the ¼ teaspoon salt now. If using salted pistachios, wait until you taste the pesto at the end.

Pulse a few times to create a paste.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube while blending until the mixture is combined and it reaches the consistency you&#39;re looking for. You don&#39;t need to use all the oil if you want it thicker, or you can add more if you want it looser. Stop to scrape down the sides of the processor/blender jar if necessary.

Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. (If you do, stir these in by hand. You don&#39;t want to process the pesto any longer than necessary.) If your pesto tastes bitter, see the notes below.Recipe yields approx. 1 cup.

SO YUM, anything that includes pistachios is my kind of recipe! Also, BTW, interesting tip about the blending - had no idea that overblending could start to "cook" the delicate greens

omg love the extra arugula flavors in this pesto!!

Such a unique flavour!  I like to dip anything in there.

Hey Don, 
Your "Arugula Pesto with Pistachios" recipe is awesome! It's easy to do and most important for me is Prep Time, Because It takes only 10 mins.  Thank's a lot Don waiting for next :)

So delicious! I love the kick from the arugula!

I LOVE this pesto! The arugula and pistachios give it such a delicious taste!

Pistachio Pesto is a fresh take on classic Italian pesto using shelled pistachios and basil. Use this in place of traditional pesto and toss with hot pasta, on grilled meat, or a spread for sandwiches.

Pistachio Pesto

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese ((2 ounces))

basil leaves ((about a bunch of basil))

lemon juice

black pepper and salt

In a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add in the shelled pistachios, cheese, garlic, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, then top off with the fresh basil leaves. Process the mixture until very finely chopped.

With the food processor running, slowly pour in the the lemon juice then olive oil through the feed tube. Process until the mixture comes together and is full combined. Taste for seasonings.

Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

Excellent my kids loved it I’m making again today so easy to make

Very easy to make. Made recipe three times with basil I grow in pots. . The pesto was delicious every time!

It was soooo yummy! I wished I had some cooked pasta to try it! But then I wouldn’t have any left to freeze!!

This was simple to make and delicious to eat!

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Top 5 pistachio pesto recipes from across the web

The most viewed pistachio pesto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

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The most viewed pistachio pesto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine