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Creamy Pistachio Pesto in a glass bowl with a spoon, surrounded by pistachios and basil.
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Pistachio Pesto

This recipe replaces the traditional pine nuts in pesto with a unique flavor… pistachios! Make this Pistachio Pesto recipe for a nuttier, slightly sweeter pesto recipe that pairs well with pasta, pizza, proteins, and more.
Course Main Course, Sauces
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 12 tablespoons
Calories 65kcal
Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

  • Food Processor/Blender

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 1 tsp minced garlic or 1 clove garlic
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil have more on hand to thin the pesto if desired
  • ¼ cup unroasted unsalted pistachios with no shells

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients (2 cups fresh basil, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ lemon juice, 1 tsp minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp salt, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup unsalted pistachios) into a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add more olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time if you’d like the texture of your pesto to be thinner. I personally added another 2 tablespoons or so.
  • Serve on pasta, chicken, seafood, or sandwiches. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational and personal use only.
  • Basil: Use fresh basil leaves for this recipe.
  • Parmesan Cheese: I use high quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese. You could also use pecorino romano cheese, though that has a stronger and more salty flavor. 
  • 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 have too much, use the remaining for this Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (my favorite recipe on the blog!).
  • 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 (like in this Walnut Pesto Recipe), almonds, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, or anything else that sounds delicious 
  • Toast your pistachios for even deeper flavor.
  • You can make the pesto with a mortar and pestle for a more traditional texture, but if you want a thinner texture, a blender is a great way to prepare it. 
  • Don’t over blend. A tiny bit of texture in pesto is ideal.
  • For the most vibrant color, blend your nuts and cheese until smooth and add your fresh basil last to avoid overblending it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.4mg