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.

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Basil Pistachio Pesto

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Top 3 pistachio pesto recipes from across the web

The most viewed pistachio pesto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Sicilian ricotta and pistachio past...

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The Perfect Pistachio Pesto Recipe

The most viewed pistachio pesto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine