Basil Pistachio Pesto
You know how we always think about there being three parts to a meal; starches, protein, and veggies/fruits? There is a fourth component, one that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, but that is perhaps the most delicious one of all. This meal game changer is sauce. Yes, sauce. A small amount of extremely flavorful mixture/liquid/puree/etc. that has incredible ability to take an entire plate of food up several levels.
Pesto is a prime example of a sauce that can do just that. It is very much packed with tons of herby bright flavor and goes well with almost any protein, starch, or vegetable it finds itself on top of. Traditional pesto as we know it is an Italian wonder, made of basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan as the base. There are infinite ways we can adapt pesto though, and this recipe shows you one very delicious way. The basil stays as the main herb component, but the nut gets switched up with pistachios in place of pine nuts. Pistachios add their own awesome earthy, nutty flavor, and of course even more green goodness to this pesto.
Classic pesto tends to be super oil heavy. That of course makes it very yummy, but also high in fats and calories. This version keeps all the awesome flavor, but rounds out the ingredients a bit to significantly decrease the fat content.
I highly suggest making this recipe (even a double batch!) to have on hand for upcoming meals where you will be more than happy to remember you have pesto waiting for you in the fridge to make everything on your plate taste that much better. Pesto is also awesome spread on bread, used as pasta sauce, a marinade for veggies, a base for vinaigrette, and so much more. Hope you enjoy!
Basil Pistachio Pesto
Makes about ½ cup
1-½ cups (30g) fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
⅓ cup (45g) pistachios, shelled and roasted
⅓ cup (12g) Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbs. (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs. (15ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tbs. (15ml) water
1 medium garlic clove, chopped or grated
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
⅛ tsp. flaky/kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well broken down. Scrape down a few times with a spatula as needed.
You can make pesto as smooth or chunky as you like. To make smoother, blend the pistachios with the water first until pretty smooth, then add the remaining ingredients and finish blending.
Keep any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to a few days.