Pistachio Pesto Pasta
If you're looking for a pasta dish that feels indulgent yet refreshingly different, Pistachio Pesto Pasta might just become your new favorite. It’s smooth, fragrant, and comes together in minutes, perfect for those nights when you want something special without a lot of effort.
Ingredients
- 14 oz (400g) busiate or casarecce pasta , or your preferred pasta, fusilli or gnocchetti are good too
Pistachio Pesto
- 2 cups (40g) fresh basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 tbsp (15g) lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (75g) raw pistachios
- 1/2 cup (50g) Parmesan , freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (60g) olive oil
For garnish
- Extra chopped pistachios
- Extra Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare the pesto.
- Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the raw pistachios and toast until fragrant. Let them cool slightly.
- In a food processor, add the pistachios, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Process until well combined.
- Add the basil leaves.
- Process until well combined.
- Add in the olive oil and the Parmesan cheese.
- Process again until combined and smooth.
- Add more olive oil if necessary.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions.
- Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Warm a frying pan over medium heat, then add the freshly prepared pesto.
- Add the cooked pasta.
- Add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Gently toss everything together until the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
- Sprinkle with chopped pistachios for extra crunch and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving out of 4Calories: 559kcalCarbohydrates: 61.6gProtein: 19.5gFat: 27.2gSaturated Fat: 5.1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 390mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 2.1gSugar: 1.6gCalcium: 171mgIron: 4mg