Ever had a green sauce change your life? This Italian pistachio pesto recipe with basil is more than a trendy pasta sauce. It's rich, creamy, packed with flavor and comes together in just 5 minutes. Whether you're cooking for friends, family, or your solo Friday night dinner, this pistachio basil pesto will turn any meal into something special.
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A special shout-out to my dear Italian friends Luciano and Marina, who introduced me to two simple but flavor-packed recipes: today's homemade pistachio pesto and a rustic garlicky pasta with breadcrumbs - a delicious example of cucina povera (toasted breadcrumbs were once called the "poor man's Parmesan")!
If you love Italian cuisine, don't miss the best spaghetti sauce with ground beef (ragu Bolognese) and a versatile side that will elevate all your main dishes, these Italian style homemade mashed potatoes.
📋 Ingredient Notes
To make this homemade pistachio pesto recipe you'll need the following ingredients:
Roasted pistachios: I don't recommend raw pistachios because they lack flavor. It's best to be unsalted so that you can control the amount of salt better. If you can only find salted, then taste first and use additional salt if needed (also avoid using a very salty cheese such as Pecorino Romano).
What kind of basil should I use for pesto?
For the best pistachio pesto, go with fresh Genovese basil(↗️ wikipedia link) - the classic variety used in traditional Italian pesto. It has a sweet, slightly peppery flavor and a tender texture, perfect for blending. Also known as sweet basil, it's traditionally grown in Liguria (home of classic pesto alla Genovese), so if you're aiming for an Italian vibe, this is it.
You can also use Greek basil, French basil, Napoletano Basil and other varieties.
👉 If possible, use the small, tender leaves from the top part of the basil.
⚠️ Avoid Thai basil (too spicy), purple basil (more bitter) and lettuce leaf basil (too mild).
Grated hard cheese. I most often make it with Parmigiano Reggiano (ask the store to grate it for you or grate it home - don't buy already grated because it may be lower quality). You can also use a mix of Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese.
Olive oil: Use a mild extra virgin olive oil for this recipe, otherwise your pesto may taste bitter. If you only have a robust, pungent olive oil it's probably best to use half of it and mix it with a neutral vegetable oil like sunflower or corn oil (please don't get mad!).
✏️ Want to know more about olive oil? Read this article about filtered vs unfilterd olive oil.
👨🍳 Expert Tips
✅ Use the small leaves from the top part of the basil because they're more tender.
✅ Don't use too much garlic.
✅ Use roasted pistachios because their flavor is far superior than raw pistachios (plus they have less moisture)
✅ A marble mortar with a wooden pestle is ideal for pesto, but don't let that stop you - use whatever you have!
✅ Store it right. Pesto oxidizes fast. Store in an airtight container and drizzle olive oil on top before refrigerating. A bit of fresh lemon juice added also helps preserve the color and taste.
✅ Instead of buying a few overpriced sprigs of basil from the food market, go to your local garden center and get yourself a whole pot - it's way more worth it and will last much longer!
🎥 Pistachio pesto video
🎵 Music on Video: Paradise Musician: @iksonmusic
📖 Recipe
5-Minute Pistachio Pesto Recipe with Basil
Equipment
- 1 Food processor, food chopper or a mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- ½ cup (70 g) pistachios (shelled, roasted, unsalted, see note#1)
- 1 cups (30 g) fresh basil leaves (rinsed and dried)
- ½ cloves garlic (see note#2)
- ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese (freshly grated , see note#3)
- ¼ cup (55 g) extra virgin olive oil (mild, see note#4)
- 1 pinch Lemon zest (or lime, optional)
- 1 pinch salt (or to taste)
Instructions
With a Food Processor or Chopper:
- Transfer the pistachios, garlic clove, lemon zest, salt and olive oil to the bowl of your food processor. Blend until it becomes a rough paste (or blend some more for a creamier texture, this will depend on your preference). Stop and scrape the bowl a few times.
- Add the basil leaves and blend until finely chopped. If the pesto is too thick, add another tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and blend until combined. Taste and adjust the flavor by adding salt, more cheese, olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice. Transfer to a jar.
In a mortar (traditional, more than 5 minutes):
- Pound the garlic with a pinch of salt until it becomes a paste.
- Add the pistachios. Use a circular motion to grind them into a chunky paste (or the consistency you prefer).👉 First beat the nuts with the pestle to break them, then use a rotation motion to cream them.
- Add the fresh basil leaves in batches and grind until you get a vibrant green paste.
- Add grated Parmesan and mix it in well.
- While stirring with the pestle, slowly add olive oil until you get your desired consistency. Taste and adjust: add more salt, cheese, or oil if needed.
Notes
Storage
Transfer the pesto in a narrow, air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover it with a thin layer of olive oil to protect it from oxygen. You can also freeze it in snack-sized food bags or ice cube trays for up to six months. Thaw and toss with pasta, gnocchi or add in soups.You May Also Like:
Nutrition
🍝 How to make pasta with pistachio pesto
Okay, you've made a delicious pesto. How do you add this sauce to pasta?
There's one rule: don't cook the pesto (it dulls the fresh basil and alters the flavor)! Here's what you need to do:
- Boil your pasta until al dente and reserve a bit of the starchy pasta water (about 3 tablespoons per serving) before draining.
- Toss the pasta with your pistachio pesto, adding a splash of the reserved water to coat everything in that velvety green sauce.
- Alternatively, serve the pasta on plates, add a splash of the pasta water to the pesto to make it creamier, and spoon the pesto over each plate.
- Optionally, top with extra cheese and a few basil leaves.
⚠️ Pistachio pesto has a lot of fat and when mixing it with water, you're creating an emulsion. To do this the right way, add the pasta water gradually, in very small amounts. The starchy water helps emulsify the pesto, creating a silky sauce that coats the pasta evenly.
Variations
Vegan: Just skip the cheese or use a vegan option. It's still delicious - will need more salt if you don't add cheese!
With other nuts: Use pine nuts for the classic taste. Cashews, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pecans can also be used. Briefly toast them in a skillet or roast in the oven to enhance their flavor.
With other herbs: If you don't like basil this recipe will also work with fresh parsley. For a refreshing twist add fresh mint. If you want to tone down the basil flavor, substitute half of the basil with baby spinach.
👉 Pesto is naturally gluten-free. If you're serving it with pasta make sure it's also gluten-free.
Where else to use it:
Pesto is not for pasta only! Here are a few more things where you can add pesto sauce:
- Add pesto to your chicken marinade to add flavor or use it as a filling for stuffed chicken breasts (with a slice of mozzarella) or as a sauce over grilled chicken.
- Spoon it over baked fish, like this simple baked whole trout or over seafood (think of sautéed shrimp or prawns).
- Mix it with roasted vegetables to elevate their taste!
- I especially love it on this whole wheat Mediterranean pizza!
- Add a tablespoon into a bowl of minestrone, or any other vegetable soup.
- Add it as a sauce to sandwiches, especially if they're made with mozzarella and tomato. Try it with this Chicken Sandwich with Balsamic & Olive oil Sauce!
- Make Italian bruschetta with toasted bread, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and pistachio basil pesto.
- Thin it with some extra olive oil and drizzle it over caprese salad.
- Use it as a dip with homemade pita bread, vegetable sticks and crackers.
💭 FAQs
Whatever you choose, you can't go wrong. Personally, my best pasta shapes for pesto are:
Short shapes like fusilli, orecchiette, penne rigate or farfalle work beautifully-they hold the sauce in all the nooks and crannies.
Long pasta like spaghetti or linguine is also a classic. Just make sure to mix well so every strand is coated.
Here is a complete guide to all pasta shapes from delallo.com (↗️ external link).
Absolutely. Pistachios are one of the best nuts you can use in pesto. They're naturally buttery, slightly sweet, and they blend into the smoothest sauce you've ever tasted.
Compared to pine nuts, pistachios give a more unique flavor-and they're often more affordable too.
Not if you do it right.
Bitterness usually comes from old basil or a strong olive oil (this doesn't mean that the olive oil is bad). Use fresh ingredients, a mild extra virgin olive oil and pulse gently when blending.
Browning comes from contact with air (oxidation). To keep your pesto bright green, store it in a narrow jar with a thin layer of olive oil on top. Alternatively, if you don't want to add extra oil, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is touching the top of the pesto so it doesn't have contact with air.
Another thing that helps is to add 1-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Lemon juice is a natural antioxidant which helps to preserve the bright green color.
Pesto freezes beautifully! For best results, leave out the cheese before freezing and stir it in after thawing. Spoon pesto into snack-sized food bags or into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer cubes to a freezer-safe bag or container. Store for up to 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge or stir a frozen cube directly into hot pasta or sauces-super easy and delicious!
🍳 More Italian Recipes to Try
What makes pistachio pesto so special?
Pistachios, of course, what else?
We've all tried the classic basil pesto, but pistachio basil pesto hits different. Pesto with pistachios is especially popular in Italy, and it's a staple in Sicilian cuisine.
Sicilian pistachio pesto pasta is more than a dish. It's a reminder that simple things, done well, are the most satisfying. If you tried this pistachio basil pesto recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
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