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This Basil Pistachio Pesto is perfect. It has bright and fragrant basil, nutty pistachios, fresh garlic and flavorful parmesan cheese. Served over giant rigatoni pasta with sweet and tart blistered tomatoes, this summer-y pasta is an easy 30 minute meal that takes almost no effort to make! Serve it with an Aperol Spritz for the best summer meal!
I love pesto. It easy adds soo much flavor to any dish, it comes to together in a blender or food processor in 10 minutes and it uses up a bunch of fresh herbs. If you want to skip the basil and/or use a different herb or vegetable this Spring Pea Pesto with Bacon and Leeks, Pea Pesto Pasta with Brown Butter Scallops, and Roasted Radishes with Burrata and Arugula Pesto are great dishes to check out next!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Basil Pistachio Pesto
- Basil! Good basil is important, just look for larger healthier leaves when selecting it because it will make your pesto more flavorful.
- Pistachios. Really any nut will do, but I like the flavor of pistachios here. If you don’t have pistachios just use the same amount of any other nut, such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, or pine nuts.
- Parmesan. Use good quality parmesan. It doesn’t have to be super expensive but you don’t want to get the cheap stuff. There are a lot of flavors in this pesto, so you want to use a good quality cheese that can shine through it all.
- Olive Oil. Grab a decent quality olive oil. Since we are using a large amount of oil to make the pesto you really want it to taste amazing. Cheaper olive oils can have a weird flavor that isn’t as good.
- Pasta. The shape I used is basically a gigantic rigatoni. It’s perfect for this type of sauce but you can really use whichever type of pasta you like!
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Basil Pistachio Pesto:
- For the pesto. Basil is such an easy sauce, it’s almost all done in one step. Just add everything to the blender and blend until smooth! I like mine not super smooth so I pulse it to make sure it doesn’t over blend.
- Serving. Serve the pesto over cooked rigatoni or the pasta of your choice. If you want to add blistered tomatoes, heat a medium skillet over medium heat with a little bit of vegetable oil, add the tomatoes then cook until they are seared and blistered about 3 minutes, then toss with the pesto and pasta.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t use too much garlic. Usually more is better with garlic but in this case since it’s raw, the garlic can easily overpower the taste of the pesto. 1 clove should do the trick!
- Use really fresh ingredients. If you are going to splurge on anything, it should be on quality ingredients for homemade pesto, you will really taste the difference!
- Don’t over blend your pesto sauce. You just want to pulse all the ingredients until it is relatively smooth but still has some chunks in it!
- How to prevent browning. Before storing pesto in the refrigerator or the freezer make sure to pour a thin layer of olive oil over top. This keeps your pesto fresher for longer and stops it from browning.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Once you’ve made the pesto, transfer it to a container then pour a thin layer of olive oil on top. Top with a lid then freeze. When you’re ready to use the pesto just place it into the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Either one is fine! I used a blender it came out perfect! If you are making a small amount of pesto a food processor might be better, but for this recipe either one will work.
More Pasta Recipes
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To a blender, add the basil, pistachios, parmesan, garlic clove, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pulse until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to your liking. I added an extra pinch.
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To a medium skillet, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes and cook until seared and blistered, about 3 minutes. Shake the skillet around every so often.
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Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the package’s instructions. Scoop out about a 1/2 cup of pasta water. We’ll use this in the sauce!
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Drain the pasta and transfer it to the skillet with the blistered tomatoes. Add the reserved pesto and pour in a few splashes of pasta water. Give it a good mix until the pasta is fully coated with the pesto. Add more pasta water if you need it.
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Divide the pasta amongst bowls/plates and garnish with parmesan and a bit of crushed pistachio.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t use too much garlic. Usually more is better with garlic but in this case since it’s raw, the garlic can easily overpower the taste of the pesto. 1 clove should do the trick!
- Use really fresh ingredients. If you are going to splurge on anything, it should be on quality ingredients for homemade pesto, you will really taste the difference!
- Don’t over blend your pesto sauce. You just want to pulse all the ingredients until it is relatively smooth but still has some chunks in it!
- How to prevent browning. Before storing pesto in the refrigerator or the freezer make sure to pour a thin layer of olive oil over top. This keeps your pesto fresher for longer and stops it from browning.
Equipment:
Vitamix Blender | Food Processor | Chef’s Knife
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 737IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
