Pistachio Basil Pesto Recipe

If you like the vibrant, herbal flavor of homemade pesto sauce, you’re going to love this Pistachio Basil Pesto recipe. Bright green fresh basil is blended with roasted pistachio nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and seasonings for a versatile sauce and spread you’ll love.

You can add this pesto sauce with pistachios to pasta, chicken, salad dressing, dips, creamy sauces, and grilled foods. Stir it in mashed potatoes, serve it over a steak, spread it on garlic bread or sandwiches, use it as a pizza topping, add it to scrambled eggs, and so much more. (Scroll down to see my favorite recipes with pesto below).

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If you’re a pesto lover, be sure to check out our other popular recipe for Basil Mint Pesto!

Why I Prefer Pistachio Nuts Instead of Pine Nuts in Pesto

Pistachio nuts have a delightful flavor that people really seem to love in this recipe.

But there’s another important reason why I prefer pistachio nuts in my pesto instead of pine nuts.

Perhaps you’d like to read my wicked bad tale about the time I came down with a condition called Pine Mouth from eating counterfeit pine nuts.

For nine long days, everything I ate or drank tasted like turpentine. For a food lover like me, having Pine Mouth was pure torture!

The short version of my painful lesson learned:  always buy locally-grown pinons or pine nuts, never cheap imports.

Ingredients Notes

Here’s what you’ll need to make easy pistachio basil pesto recipe:

1/2 cup shelled, roasted pistachio nuts – You can also buy the unshelled nuts and remove the shells.

2 1/4 cups packed fresh basil leaves – Pull just the leaves from the thicker stems. It’s okay to keep some of the thinner, more tender stems.

1 clove fresh garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil – Use the best quality olive oil you have for this recipe.

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated cheese has the best flavor, but you can also use pre-grated Parmesan if that’s what you have on hand.

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt – This recipe is not heavily salted. You can taste and add more salt at the end if you like.

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Equipment Needed

The main equipment you’ll need for this easy pesto recipe is:

• Food processor (or you can use a blender in a pinch)
• Small spatula – for scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl
• 1 cup liquid measuring cup with a spout – for drizzling in the olive oil

Step by Step Instructions

STEP ONE: Combine the basil leaves, pistachios, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.

STEP TWO: Process until the basil and nuts are finely chopped. Scrape down the bowl with a small spatula.

STEP THREE: Measure out the olive oil in a spouted measuring cup. Drizzle the olive oil in the food processor bowl with the motor running, until it is fully incorporated and the pesto is creamy.

STEP FOUR: Add the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, and process briefly, just until combined. Scrape down the sides and process for a few seconds longer.

STEP FIVE: Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Makes about 1 1/2 cups, or 6 servings of 1/4 cup each.

Storing Leftover Pesto Sauce

Storage instructions: Store leftover pesto in a tightly wrapped container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Freezing directions: Pesto can be frozen in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Freezing Pesto for Quick Thawing

I like to freeze the pesto in smaller portions so it’s easy to add to our favorite recipes.

Here’s a little trick for freezing pesto in parchment paper. It makes a thin “packet” that’s quick and easy to thaw (and also doesn’t absorb any chemicals from plastic). By freezing it this way, you can easily break off a chunk if you want to add a little bit to a soup or pasta sauce.

Fold a piece of parchment paper in half so it’s a little shorter than your freezer bag, and then fold in the outer sides twice to make a pocket.

Add some of the pesto sauce, flatten it out a bit for quicker thawing, fold over the top of the paper so it’s a packet, and tuck it in the freezer bag. (I reuse our freezer bags endlessly, for storage purposes only.)

You can freeze the pesto for up to 6 months. To thaw it, just let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so while you’re preparing dinner.  In the middle of winter, you’ll be so glad you preserved the summertime flavor of fresh basil!

Best Recipes Using Pesto

I frequently add pesto to hot, cooked linguine (sometimes I’ll stir it into Alfredo sauce), spread it on sandwiches, or use it on homemade pizza with grilled chicken, mushrooms and mozzarella.

From some of my favorite food bloggers, here are some other really tasty ways to use pesto sauce:

Pesto Appetizers and Bread Recipes

Basil Pesto Hummus from Take Two Tapas

Pesto, Burratta, and Roasted Tomatoes Appetizer from The Fresh Cooky

Pesto Pull-Apart Bread from Fresh April Flours

Pesto Pinwheels from The Speckled Palate

Pesto Dinner Recipes

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta from Soulfully Made

Pesto Orzo from Simple and Savory

One Skillet Sausage Pesto Gnocci from Sue Bee Homemaker

Tuna Pesto Pasta from The Dizzy Cook

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This recipe was originally posted on September 24, 2013 and has been updated with new photos and information.