Whip up a batch of fresh homemade pesto in no time with this 5-minute easy recipe. This delicious sauce is bursting with flavor from the basil and pistachios and is perfect for pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, soups, dressings or even by itself as a dip!
I'll be the first to admit that I am pesto-obsessed. It just adds so much fresh herby flavor to any dish using basic ingredients. I think it's safe to say I always have a batch of pesto in my fridge, whether it's my classic basil pesto with pine nuts, kale pesto, walnut arugula pesto, or nut-free hemp seed pesto.
There are endless possibilities for how to make pesto, but this pistachio version jumps to the top of the list! With so much flavor packed into each bite, the parmesan cheese you'd find in traditional pesto sauce really isn't needed, making this a great dairy-free and vegan pesto option as well.
Why You'll Love this Simple Pistachio Pesto Recipe
- Rich, nutty flavor
- Vibrant green color
- Creamy texture
- Versatile - use on anything!
- Quick and easy to make
- Easy to modify with swapped ingredients
Ingredients
- Fresh basil - Fresh basil leaves are sweet and savory with a subtle pepper taste. Do not make the mistake of using dried basil!
- Pistachios - I find that the pistachio nuts give this sauce a deeper, nuttier flavor than pine nuts do. Opt for roasted and salted shelled pistachios. If you only have raw pistachios, toast them on the stovetop for 2-3 minutes with a little salt first.
- Olive oil - Use high quality extra virgin olive oil as this is essentially the base of the sauce.
- Garlic - I use three garlic cloves to add some punch. Feel free to use a little less (or more!) depending on your preference.
- Salt - As with most dishes, salt helps bring out all the flavors.
- Maple syrup - Just one teaspoon adds a hint of sweet flavor.
- Red pepper chili flakes - Red pepper flakes add some subtle heat to make this pesto even more addictive.
- Lemon - I love how fresh lemon juice brightens up this sauce!
How to Make 5-Minute Pistachio Pesto
This delicious pesto can be made using a food processor or blender. I prefer the food processor because I can better control the texture to keep it from getting too smooth.
1. Load the food processor. Add all ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor (or blender).
2. Pulse. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.
3. Add olive oil. Pour the olive oil in a slow and steady stream into the food processor while the blades are still running and continue to pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. Pause to scrape the sides down if necessary. If the pesto is too thick, thin it out with a splash of water, again while the blades are still running.
4. Taste. Adjust flavor to taste if necessary. Feel free to add a pinch of salt, another garlic clove or more lemon juice and pulse until well combined.
5. Serve! You can serve this warm or cold.
Serving Suggestions
Pesto is such a versatile sauce because its key ingredients are basil, olive oil and garlic. I love using it the following ways:
Soup: Adding a dollop of pesto to quinoa minestrone or Tuscan white bean and kale soup creates an explosion of additional flavor.
Salad: Serve cold as a salad dressing for a tomato basil avocado salad or the viral Jennifer Aniston "perfect salad."
Pasta: To put it simply, this flavorful sauce can turn ANY pasta into a creamy pistachio pasta al pesto! I especially love adding it to aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil pasta), grilled veggie pesto pasta and weeknight pesto pasta with roasted veggies.
Pizza: Add pesto to white pizza or any homemade pizza crust.
Veggie bowls: I am obsessed with pesto overtop a roasted vegetable quinoa bowl.
Dip: Use pistachio pesto as a dip for raw vegetables or crackers for a major flavor upgrade!
Storage
Store pistachio pesto in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The sauce will naturally start to brown if not the container is not airtight. To combat this, pouring a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto will actually keep air out and prevent it from oxidizing.
This pesto can definitely be frozen! I normally don't make extra batches of sauces for the purpose of freezing, but this is the exception. The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
I usually make two large batches of pesto at once - one to enjoy in the moment and the other to pour into ice cube trays. The ice cube trays allow for individual servings to be used whenever for easy thawing without having to defrost the entire batch!
Recipe Variations
While traditional pesto consists of pine nuts, basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and parmesan cheese, pesto is such a unique sauce that basically anything but the olive oil and garlic can be swapped. Feel free to use the following modifications or additions to this pistachio pesto:
Pistachios - Pine nuts, walnuts or even cashews and almonds would work. Make it nut-free by using hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds instead.
Basil - Try fresh herbs such as arugula, parsley, cilantro, dill or even mint leaves - almost any herb can be made into pesto!
Parmesan cheese - I enjoy this sauce without the use of any cheese, but vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast can certainly be added if desired.
Other variations - Depending on your preference, add black pepper, sprinkle in some lemon zest or swap the lemon juice for lime juice.
I hope you enjoy this basil pistachio pesto! Please comment and leave a rating below if you make it as I always value your feedback. Also, feel free to tag me on Instagram so I can see all the ways you use it!
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Easy 5-Minute Pistachio Pesto
- Total Time: 5
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Whip up a batch of fresh homemade pesto in no time with this 5-minute easy recipe. This delicious sauce is bursting with flavor from the basil and pistachios and is perfect for pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, soups, dressings or even by itself as a dip!
Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces fresh basil leaves (~2 cups packed)
¼ cup roasted and salted shelled pistachios
3 large cloves garlic
½ tsp salt
1 tsp maple syrup
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Load the food processor. Add all ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor (or blender).
- Pulse. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.
- Add olive oil. Pour the olive oil in a slow and steady stream into the food processor while the blades are still running and continue to pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. Pause to scrape the sides down if necessary. If the pesto is too thick, thin it out with a splash of water, again while the blades are still running.
- Taste. Adjust flavor to taste if necessary. Feel free to add a pinch of salt, another garlic clove or more lemon juice and pulse until well combined.
- Serve! Serve warm or cold.
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: sauce
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Italian
Shannon Rodock says
Using your recipe I made this with half cilantro and half parsley. It was delicious.
Elaine Gordon says
Yum! Thank you, Shannon! Sounds so good - so happy you enjoyed!
Casey says
I'm not a huge fan of pine nuts so I was eager to try this and it did not disappoint!
Elaine Gordon says
This is so nice to hear from someone who doesn't like pine nuts! Pistachios really do make for a great substitute. Thanks so much for sharing!