Pistachio Basil Pesto
If I had to pick a favorite herb, it would have to be basil. It’s fragrant, colorful and tastes like spring. It’s a superstar ingredient in this pesto recipe paired perfectly with one of our most favorite nuts, pistachios! You can buy pesto at the store, but fresh is just so much better and clocking in at under 10 minutes to make, you'll never go back. Swap the usual pine nuts for pistachios to add a hint of sweet fruitiness. Not into pasta? You can use this pesto with grilled meats (hello, pork chops!) and as a sauce to toss pretty much any grilled or roasted veggie.
Takes: 10 minutes
Makes 1 1/2 cups pesto
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup raw pistachios
1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios
2 tsp Desert Provisions Meyer Lemon Sea Salt or Sonoran Sea Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp red chile flakes (optional)
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
2/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil + more to taste
Juice of half of lemon
In a food processor, combine first five ingredients. Start to blend and slowly add olive oil to emulsify. Blend until pesto is desired consistency, about 30-45 seconds. Add additional olive oil to thin if needed. Squeeze juice of half of lemon and mix again to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, chile flakes) as desired. If pesto is too thick, continue to add olive oil to thin and additional salt to taste.
Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use or while you cook your pasta. Pesto will oxidize and turn brown-ish if left out. The lemon helps with this, but it will darken if left out.
For pasta, cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving at least half cup of pasta water. Combine approximately 2-3 tbsp of pesto per serving of pasta. Toss to combine. Add warm pasta water to thin if the pesto is too thick. Using a microplane grater, grate additional Parmesan on top to taste.
Cook's notes: Vegan lovers, take note! This pesto works just as well if you omit the cheese! The color will be slightly darker than if you don’t add in cheese, but just as tasty. Speaking of cheese, if you do go that route, I highly recommend using a microplane to grate your cheese. It’s a thing of wonder and grates cheese into light and airy clouds perfect for pesto and all sorts of dishes.
