If you're looking for a speedy and delicious sauce for a bowl of pasta to make for dinner tonight, this Pistachio Pesto, also known as Pesto Al Pistacchio in Italy, is THE one. The classic bowl of pesto pasta is elevated by mellow, delicious pistachios, which turns it into a whole different experience to classic basil pesto, typically made with pine nuts.
This recipe is made with a tasty homemade pesto you won't be able to get enough of. I would highly suggest making Pasta Al Pesto Pistachio as a first way to use it, it's a classic. Then you can also use the pesto on so many other things, like this Salmon with a Pesto Crust or this Chicken Flatbread that has a yoghurt base and pesto over the top. It doesn't always have to be basil pesto! If you want to use pistachios in a sweet dish, try this Easy Homemade Pistachio Cream which you can add to so many things like Pistachio Cream Croissants or Pistachio Tiramisu.
Why you will love this Pesto Al Pistacchio
- Quick and easy to make, and tastes amazing whatever you make it with.
- It makes a whole jar of pesto that you can use in this recipe and in a whole range of other recipes too
- It elevates everyday pesto pasta with the nutty, creamy pistachios that is so much better than classic basil pesto.
You will need the following ingredients:
Pistachio: in a classic basil pesto, this would be with pine nuts but it's so delicious with pistachio.
Fresh basil: a big fresh bunch with vibrant green leaves ideally but something like a pesto is ideal to use up any slightly older herbs that may have been in your fridge for a while
Olive oil: choose something light in flavour as you'll be blending it into the pesto.
Garlic: fresh garlic is what I prefer but if you don’t like strong garlic flavour, you could use a roasted clove of garlic or a teaspoon of garlic granules.
Lemon: this elevates the pesto and adds a little brightness to bring out other flavours.
Black pepper
Parmesan: pecorino and Grana Padano would make good substitutes - make sure the cheese you're using is vegetarian if that matters to you!
Salt: nothing fancy here as it's just for seasoning not finishing but I do really recommend Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
Pasta: spaghetti is great here but truly any pasta works. I also love it with casarecce as it's so twisty and catches the pesto well.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements
Substitutions and Variations
Basil: This recipe uses basil as it's the most typical but you could use a mix of herbs if you want to make it a little different or use up what you have already. A mix of basil and parsley would be very good or a few chives thrown in too will give it a good flavour.
Pistachios: Of course, this recipe is for pistachio pesto so please do try with those as it's delicious. But if you are looking for a basic pesto recipe, this recipe works with other nuts such as pine nuts, almonds, walnuts.
Here's how to make Pesto Al Pistacchio
This is a very simple recipe but I've included a few step-by-step images to help. As usual, the full recipe is below in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
ONE: Add the basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, pepper and olive oil to a blender.
TWO: Add the parmesan too. I have found there's no need to grate it in, the chunks blend up just fine.
THREE: Blend together, either in a blender or food processor. You can blend less for a chunkier texture or you can blend more for smooth. I like it right in the middle.
FOUR: There you have it - perfect pistachio pesto for however you use it.
Cooking tips
How to toast pistachios: I like to toast pistachios in a pan, as this means I can keep a closer eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Toast over medium-high heat and keep the pan moving to make sure they are evenly toasted. You can toast in the oven but I find it harder to control if they burn! Which we do not want.
How to store the pesto: any pesto you don’t use can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or jar. It should last a week or two. If you want to keep it longer, I would advise adding it to a jar and levelling it out so it’s nice and flat. Then add some olive oil over the top to create a layer that essentially seals the pesto. This will stop it going bad as fast. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge but once mixed into hot pasta or smoothed onto toasted bread, it’ll melt.
How to store basil: any leftover basil should be stored in the following way to keep it alive and strong for a good week. Slice the ends off the basil stalks and place in a small glass or mug in around 1cm of water. Take a clean sandwich bag and cover the basil with it, pulling the bag down the glass. Then seal the sandwich bag around the glass/mug. Leave at room temp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can, it just won't be quite as smooth but the traditional way to do it is in a pestle and mortar. Start with the garlic (if using) and a pinch of salt and pound together until a paste. Then add the basil, chopped, little by little until they form a paste. Add nuts and repeat. To add the cheese, grate it finely then mix it in little by little, along with the pepper and the lemon juice/zest. Add the olive oil slowly, pounding into the sauce as you go. This will aim to emulsify it a little rather than having little bits of basil and pistachio suspended in oil.
It will last a least a week in the fridge. As long as it looks and smells okay, you can eat it. See the cooking tips above for how best to store it.
More Recipes You Might Like
If you want to use up any leftover pesto, you can sub it in in my Chicken with White Beans and Pistachio Pesto, or Greek Lamb Burgers with Pesto. I also love this recipe for Pesto, Goats Cheese and Parma Ham on Toast, it's so delicious.
Pesto is also delicious in a sandwich! I love it in this Chicken, Bacon and Pesto Sandwich or also in the famed Desert Island Dishes recipe for Stanley Tucci's Favourite Sandwich. Yum!
Made this recipe and loved it?
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PrintPistachip Pesto Pasta (Pasta Al Pesto Pistacchio)
A perfect pistachio pesto pasta, made with gorgeous green pistachios that give it the most amazing texture and nutty flavour. It's a level up from jarred pesto pasta I can tell you!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the pesto:
- 100g shelled pistachios, toasted
- 100g basil
- 200ml olive oil
- 1 garlic clove (optional)
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- ½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 70g parmesan
- salt, to taste
For the pasta:
- 200g pasta
- More pistachios, to decorate
- Ricotta/mozzarella/burrata, for topping
Instructions
- Get a pot of salted water on to the boil and boil the pasta according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, add all of the pesto ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. No need to grate the parm, it's fine in the blender in chunks. Taste the pesto and see if you need to add any salt, you may find it’s salty enough from the cheese.
- Drain the pasta, return to the pan and add a few spoons of pesto until you have your desired sauce level. Plate up and top with more pistachios and a dollop of ricotta. Transfer any leftover pesto to an airtight jar and store in the fridge.
Notes
How to store the pesto: any pesto you don’t use can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or jar. It should last a week or two. If you want to keep it longer, I would advise adding it to a jar and levelling it out so it’s nice and flat. Then add some olive oil over the top to create a layer that essentially seals the pesto. This will stop it going bad as fast. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge but once mixed into hot pasta (for example) or brought to room temperature, it’ll melt.
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