Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
This nutty and creamy Sicilian pesto is a delicious alternative to basil pesto. Your family and guests are bound to love it!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 400 g pasta spaghetti, scialatielli or spaghetti alla chitarra
- 200 g pistachios (preferably unsalted & untoasted)
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 40 g Parmesan or Pecorino (grated)
- salt (for pasta and to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once the water starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- 2
Put the pistachios into a bowl of boiling water for 3 minutes , drain them and wipe them with a cloth to remove most of the skin covering them.
- 3
Put the pistachios in a blender or food processor, add the grated cheese and 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- 4
As you start to blend/pulse add the rest of the extra virgin olive oil until you get a dense pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 5
Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Save a cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta and return it to the pan.
- 6
Add some of the pasta cooking water to the pesto to make it a little more liquidy and creamier.
- 7
Then add the pistachio pesto to the pasta and mix together well.
- 8
Serve immediately with extra grated cheese as required.