Pistachio Basil Pesto - Easy Homemade Recipe
A beautiful combination of pistachios and basil give this easy homemade pesto a fantastic flavor!
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup whole pistachios shelled and roasted
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2 ½ cups Genovese basil leaves lightly packed "sweet basil"
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
- Rough chop the pistachios so they process easily and remove the basil leaves from their stem, using the leaves only.⅓ cup whole pistachios, 2 ½ cups Genovese basil leaves
Process the Pesto
- Put all the ingredients into the food processor bowl. Process the pesto until there is a uniform consistency. Scrape the sides of the bowl a couple times to make sure everything gets processed to a nice smooth paste. Once processed, taste for seasoning. If needed add a bit of sea salt and/or lemon juice to balance the flavor.1 large garlic clove, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Store the Pesto
- Remove the pesto from the processing bowl with a spatula and store in a glass jar. Pour a very thin layer of olive oil over the top of the pesto (which will prevent browning) and seal with an air tight lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week and use on your favorite pasta, protein, pizza and more.
Notes
Substitutions
- Pistachios: You can go traditional with pine nuts instead, or try any number of nuts or seeds (such as pepitas/pumpkin seeds) instead for a delicious twist.
- Parmesan: Other hard cheeses work well, most notably Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano.
- Store in a small airtight container with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil on top to prevent the pesto from forming a brown layer. Store in the refrigerator for 1 week.
- Pesto is good for up to one week in the fridge.
- Yes you can freeze pesto! It will last for 5-6 months in the freezer. We like to portion it in an ice cube tray. This gives you nice small portions to use whenever you need it. Once frozen we remove the pesto ice cubes and store in the freezer in a ziptop freezer bag or other freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 462mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 581IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg
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