This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is a flavorful, nutty twist on the traditional pesto alla genovese we all know and love. With just 30 minutes and a handful of simple ingredients, it’s the perfect easy dinner or elevated side dish for any occasion.
Pesto pasta is one of those dishes that’s a winner every time. It’s full of bold flavor, simple to prepare, and can be made with a variety of ingredients. This Pistachio Pesto Recipe strays slightly from the traditional with nutty, crunchy pistachios while staying true to classic Italian roots with bright, floral basil. And let’s not forget about the sharp, savory Parmesan. The best part? It’s all made in a food processor—it just doesn’t get easier than that.
With simple ingredients and little prep time, this Pistachio Pesto comes together in just minutes. We’re serving it with freshly cooked pasta here, but frankly it’s also great on pizzas, sandwiches and much more. This one is a crowd-pleaser among friends and family with all kinds of preferences, so get ready to add it to your recipe rotation.
If you like this pesto pasta idea, then I highly suggest you give these other pesto and pasta recipes a try. Pestos add that extra oomph of flavor and I’ve got tons of variations to keep you inspired. This Cilantro Pesto brings a tasty new vibe to the table, our Triple Herb Pesto is packed with flavor and nuance (triple the herbs, triple the deliciousness, yea?), and we can’t forget about our Radish Greens Pesto. It’s a great way to reduce waste in the kitchen, it’s fantastic.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
Flavorful, versatile, and simple to make, there’s so much to love about this recipe—here are a few reasons to give it a try today:
- Fresh and Simple Ingredients: With a handful of fresh herbs, nuts, cheeses, and olive oil—all found at most grocery stores, this is a dish you can make easily, and feel good about serving.
- Customizable Main Course or Side Dish: Add in any combination of herbs, greens, nuts or cheeses to switch up the flavor of your pesto, and serve this as a simple and authentic main dish, or as an elevated side.
- Quick and Easy to Prepare: Using a food processor isn’t traditional, but it does make pesto beyond easy to prepare. It comes together in minutes—so once you’ve cooked the pasta, consider dinner done.
- Perfect Twist on Pesto: Everyone is familiar with the traditional pesto alla genovese with basil and pine nuts, but this one is arguably just as delicious if not tastier, with nutty pistachios.
Ingredients
- Basil: The key ingredient to any great pesto. This herb is beautifully green and vibrant, sweet, bold, and super fragrant. Use bright, unbruised leaves, and even some of the tender stems.
- Pistachios: I absolutely adore pistachios. They’re mildly sweet, nutty, and earthy in flavor. They work really well here and, quick tip, buy them raw and pre-shelled to save some time. Store them in the freezer to extend their shelf life, too.
- Parmesan: Nutty and perfectly savory, grate your own parmesan here. The pre-grated stuff just doesn’t have the same taste or consistency. You can use a microplane, or since you’ve already got the food processor out, process a large chunk of Parmesan until finely ground, before making the pesto in the processor.
- Garlic: Sharp, slightly spicy and aromatic, a little garlic goes a long way. But always use fresh!
- Salt & Pepper: Seasoning everything as you go is essential. Don’t skip this—salt and pepper bring out the flavors in all ingredients.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: It’s essential to use a good quality olive oil here. The rich, fruity flavor is key to bringing all of the flavors together.
- Dried Pasta: There are so many different brands and varieties, so use your go-to, or whatever you have in your pantry. I like spaghetti but a short cut pasta is also great because the pesto sauce really clings to the noodles and finds its way into the hollow tubes.
How To Make Pistachio Pesto Pasta
This pasta comes together quickly—just be sure to have your pesto ingredients measured out, so all you have to do is add everything to the food processor. And keep your pesto covered before using it, to avoid any browning.
- Make the pesto by pulsing together the basil, pistachios, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor until finely chopped, about 12 pulses.
- With the processor running, stream in oil until emulsified. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set this aside, and cover until you’re ready to use. This will help to maintain its bright color.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, before draining. Then add the drained pasta back to the same pot with 1 cup of the prepared pesto.
- Stir the pasta and pesto together until combined and fully incorporated. Feel free to adjust the sauce consistency with the reserved pasta water by adding in 2 tablespoons at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Salt the pasta water. It’s crucial to generously salt your boiling water before adding in the pasta. This is your only chance to internally season the uncooked pasta—so throw caution to the wind and add in a hefty pinch (or two). The water should taste like the sea. Trust us on this one.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. If you’ve been to Italy, you know to always, and I mean always, cook your pasta to al dente. Boiling it for just under the cook time on the package is key to perfectly cooked, slightly chewy, noodles.
- Reserve pasta cooking water. When you go to drain the pasta, keep a cup or so of the starchy cooking liquid. It might not seem like it, but this water is gold and helps to thicken and emulsify sauces, helps the sauce adhere to the noodles, and creates that thick glossy coating you want in a good pasta dish.
- Be sure to coat the pasta with the pesto OFF the heat. This ensures the pasta stays bright green and the fresh herb flavor remains vibrant in each bite.
Variations and Substitutions
One of my favorite things about pesto is that there’s not one hard and fast rule of how to make it. The flavor combinations are endless, so experiment with your favorites or what you happen to have on hand. Pantry Pesto, anyone?
- Nuts: Pine nuts are the classic ingredient, but toasted almonds, walnuts, and even nutty pepitas are delicious.
- Herbs & Greens: Basil is the work horse of pesto. It’s floral and bright and a fan-favorite. Try adding in other herbs and greens, too—peppery arugula adds a nice, slightly spicy kick: we love this Arugula and Basil Pesto recipe. And herbs like cilantro and parsley add a bright depth of flavor—pepitas and walnuts would pair nicely with these. You can even make a version with fresh spinach for an extra dose of veggies and color.
- Cheeses: Hard, sharp, nutty cheeses work best in pestos. Parmesan is always a winner, but also give pecorino romano a try—it’s slightly tangy and very salty (so pull back on the added salt a bit).
- Citrus & Spice: Adding in a bit of citrus zest brightens up any pesto. We love the essence of lemon zest, especially. And if you’re a spice lover, don’t be afraid to add in a pinch of red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
What to Serve With Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
This pasta is delicious and satisfying on its own, but if you’re looking to serve it as a side dish or simply want to turn it into more of a hearty meal, we’ve got lots of options here. From chicken, simple steak and seasoned seafood, to vegetables and meatballs—there’s definitely something for everyone.
- Pesto Chicken Tenders: Juicy and versatile, these chicken tenders are packed with an extra punch of flavor—pesto on pesto!
- Salmon Pesto Pasta: Salmon topped with pesto and a bit of breadcrumbs pairs perfectly with this pesto pasta.
- Tri-Tip Steak: Juicy and meaty, the flavors of tri-tip are so complimentary and work well with most pastas, especially herby, bright pestos.
- Pork Meatballs: These meatballs are flavorful, juicy and versatile. Which makes them the perfect addition to this pesto pasta.
- Meatballs & Roasted Glazed Carrots: We love a meatball moment, clearly. And serving them alongside the pasta and sweet roasted carrots adds a boost of fiber and flavor.
- Lime Shrimp: Zesty citrus shrimp adds a mild, bright protein to this pasta. For a better pairing, swap the lime zest out in favor of lemon zest.
One Pan Meals
Pesto Chicken Tenders
30-Minute Meal
Salmon Pesto Pasta
Dinner
Pork Meatballs
How-To
How to Cook Tri-Tip
Storage & Freezing
I recommend serving this pasta immediately after making it for the best texture and color (and who can resist digging in right away?). But if you’ve got extra pesto, or make a double recipe of it, you can certainly freeze it.
For the Fridge: If you’ve got leftovers (lucky you!), store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 5 days. Just bring to room temperature or gently reheat in the microwave before you’re ready to enjoy.
For the Freezer: As a general rule, steer clear from freezing pasta, but you can freeze just the pesto in an airtight container (or ice cube trays) for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and stir into freshly cooked pasta when you’re ready to serve. Warning, the color might not be as vibrant, but it’ll taste just as good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pistachio pesto is made with basil, pistachios of course, a hard tangy cheese like Parmesan, garlic, and extra olive oil. You can always try adding in other herbs, greens or cheese, but this is the most traditional and basic version—which we love.
Any variety of nuts from walnuts to pistachios, or even cashews. You can even try sunflower seeds!
To bind the pesto sauce the noodles. The starch in the pasta water thickens the sauce and also seasons the dish.
More Pesto Pasta Recipes
Pistachio Pesto Pasta
Description
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves, packed
- ¾ cup raw shelled pistachios, toasted and cooled
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound dry pasta of choice
Instructions
- Pulse 2 cups basil, ¾ cup pistachios, ½ cup Parmesan, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a food processor until finely chopped, about 12 pulses.
- With processor running, stream in ½ cup oil until emulsified. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add 1 pound pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions.
- Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water then drain pasta. Add pasta back to now empty pot with 1 cup pesto.
- Adjust sauce consistency with reserved pasta water by 2 tablespoon increments as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Notes
- For the Fridge: If you’ve got leftovers (lucky you!), store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 5 days. Just bring to room temperature before you’re ready to enjoy.
- For the Freezer: As a general rule, steer clear from freezing pasta, but you can freeze just the pesto in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and stir into freshly cooked pasta when you’re ready to serve. Warning, the color might not be as vibrant, but it’ll taste just as good.
- Nuts: Pine nuts are the classic ingredient, but toasted almonds, walnuts, and even nutty pepitas are delicious.
- Herbs & Greens: Basil is the work horse of pesto. It’s floral and bright and a fan-favorite. Try adding in other herbs and greens, too – peppery arugula adds a nice, slightly spicy kick: we love this Arugula and Basil Pesto recipe. And herbs like cilantro and parsley add a bright depth of flavor – pepitas and walnuts would pair nicely with these. You can even make a version with fresh spinach for extra color and brightness.
- Cheeses: Hard, sharp, nutty cheeses work best in pestos. Parmesan is always a winner, but also give pecorino romano a try- it’s slightly tangy and absolutely delicious.
- Citrus & Spice: Adding in a bit of citrus zest brightens up any pesto. We love the essence of lemon zest, especially. And if you’re a spice lover, don’t be afraid to add in a pinch of red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
