Pistachio Pesto: Creamy, Flavorful & Easy to Make

Does it get any better than pesto pasta? Pistachio pesto is so simple to make yet so flavorful—you need to try it today!

This post is all about the perfect pistachio pesto. This recipe includes just a few ingredients, and each one is crucial for making the perfect pesto sauce.

A Simple Recipe

Just like other Italian recipes, pesto sauce is very simple. It’s easy to make and has only a few ingredients. Italian recipes are genius this way—they include minimal ingredients, but each one complements the others and is absolutely crucial.

If you think about it, learning and practicing Italian recipes can be really useful. For example, a good tomato sauce has olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and basil. I don’t really count salt and pepper. But you get the point: less than 5 ingredients, maximum flavor. You really need to let the natural flavors shine and use the freshest ingredients.

Pesto Ingredients

In recipes like this one, since there are only a few ingredients, it’s important that each one is perfect. There’s no complicated method of cooking, and each ingredient really shines through.

For this pistachio pesto recipe, you need:

• Basil: Basil can be kind of annoying. I buy it fresh, and somehow, a couple of days later, it already has some brown spots. It’s a more delicate herb, and this pesto recipe is a great way to deal with it. It’s best to make pesto right when you buy basil. By the way, for pesto, you use the leaves only, as the stems can be kind of woody. This way, the leaves don’t go bad, and you can use the pesto as is for that boost of flavor. You’ll love having pesto on hand at all times.
• Pistachios: You need some sort of nut for your pesto. It can be pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. The nuts add a great creaminess, a nutty flavor, and help bring the pesto sauce together. If you’re a pistachio fan, the choice is easy. Pistachios not only add a delicious flavor but also a gorgeous green color. It will take your pesto to the next level, both visually and flavor-wise.
• Parmesan Cheese: In a lot of Italian recipes, parmesan acts as a seasoning. Unlike American recipes, which use cheese for that melty effect, Italians don’t. It’s the same for this pesto recipe—the cheese adds amazing flavor, but by all means, this is not a cheese spread. It does help for creating a creamier sauce when you’re making pesto pasta, which I’ll talk about later.
• Garlic: Anything is better with garlic. PLEASE use fresh garlic, not the jarred mush. It tastes completely different. And as much as I love garlic, don’t use more than one clove. Since it’s used fresh, one clove adds so much flavor without overpowering the rest.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil is almost the base of this spread, alongside the basil. Without it, it just wouldn’t spread, if that makes sense. Use the best quality olive oil you can; it’s one of the central ingredients and adds so much flavor. It’s not just for making pesto sauce oily. Also, the amount you use depends on the other ingredients you have. Sometimes pesto requires more oil for blending, and sometimes you need less. Adjust as you go along.
• Salt: Salt your pesto well, but be mindful that the cheese can also be really salty. I recommend starting with less than you think and adding more as you taste and blend it.

How To Make Pesto

When I was young, my family and I traveled to Italy and took a cooking lesson there. It was in this beautiful castle-like home with a beautiful veggie garden (aren’t all the homes in Italy castle-like?). Anyways, we made pesto there using a pestle and mortar. It resulted in a chunky, rustic pesto, and it was amazing. I do usually prefer the smoother ones, which I make in my blender. If you also like your pesto sauce to be smoother and much quicker to make, use a blender as well. If you want the full experience, use a pestle and mortar. The order of the ingredients you crush matters, though, unlike in the blender where it’s all added at once.

Pesto Pasta

Whenever I make pasta, I always follow some ground rules:

I’m not sure these rules are Italian-approved, but they will take your pasta game to the next level.

• Pasta should never wait for the sauce: The sauce should always be made before the pasta is cooked. This way, you make sure that it doesn’t overcook and stays al dente.
• Use good-quality pasta: Generally, the whiter, the better. The more yellow-sheer pastas are not what you want.
• Make sure to salt the cooking water very well: The pasta water should be as salty as the ocean.
• Don’t drain the pasta: The pasta water is a crucial ingredient in a good pasta dish. It’s starchy, which makes the sauce creamier, thicker, and helps bring the whole dish together. Also, this way you can make sure the sauce is not too thick—by adding more water. But be careful: add just a little at a time to avoid ending up with a runny sauce and overcooking your pasta trying to thicken it.
• If it’s the perfect thickness in the pan, it’ll be too dry once you plate: Pasta will continue to absorb more liquid as time goes by, even if it’s just seconds. To prevent dry pasta and to make sure you have silky pasta sauces, pasta water is your best friend.
• Combine everything in a pan: To make sure the sauce really sticks to the pasta and it becomes one creamy dish, mix it in a pan. I like to cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the packaging says and then transfer it to a hot pan with the sauce for 2 minutes. I add pasta water as I go along and let the pasta absorb the sauce. This way, each bite will be so much more flavorful.

Other Ways To Eat Pistachio Pesto

Here are some ideas for you:

• Mix in some cream cheese for a delicious pesto cheese spread.
• Add to focaccia or pizza.
• Add to sandwiches, grilled cheeses.
• Add to a savory galette or quiche.
• Mix into a pasta salad.
• Add on top of roast chicken or fish.
• Make my delicious pesto bread recipe.
• Make my delicious pesto ricotta stuffed pasta shells.

Pistachio Pesto | Tips:

1. Adjust the texture: If your pesto is too thick, add a little more olive oil to reach your desired consistency.
2. Oxidation: If your pesto turns a bit brown on the outer layer in the fridge, don’t worry! It’s just oxidation. You can easily stir it back into the vibrant green pesto underneath. To prevent this, add a thin layer of olive oil on top before storing, which helps preserve the color and freshness.
3. Storage:
   • Fridge: Store your pesto in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
   • Freezer: Freeze pesto in ice cube trays for easy portioning. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Thaw and use whenever you need a quick pesto fix!

Cooking with Oli

I made a nice video of how to make pistachio pesto, and as always, Oli was helping. He was especially interested in the flowers in the background. You can see him ruining and stealing some of them in the video. Overall, he was very helpful and invested in this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ready to make the best pistachio pesto?

Now that you have the perfect pistachio pesto recipe, what are you waiting for? From the moment you decide to make it to the first bite, it’ll take less than 30 minutes. It’s quick, easy, and full of flavor—you’ll absolutely love it!