Like most folk, we love us a nice pesto, but, I have been hesitant to make it because, well, I don’t have a whole lot of confidence in the quality of the pine nuts most usually associated (along with the basil, and garlic, and olive oil, and Parmesan cheese, of course) with pesto.
Well… as it turns out, pine nuts are not required, more like strongly suggested, and when I came across a recipe for pesto with pistachios, I was more than good to give it a whirl so I dusted off the food processor…
INGREDIENTS
•1-1/2 cup (packed) basil
•1 cup olive oil
•1 cup pistachios (shelled)
•1/2 cup parsley
•1/4 cup grated Parmesan
•1 tsp lemon zest
•3 cloves garlic*
•1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
•1/4 tsp Kosher salt
•1/4 tsp black pepper
*This was a nice pesto and all, but next time I make it, I am bumping up the garlic to five, or mebbe even six cloves of garlic.
Making pesto is almost stoopidly simple:
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor fitted with the metal blade, then pulse until you have a paste that looks like this.
Toss with your fave pasta (I added some Blanched Asparagus to the pasta), and serve.