5-Minute Pistachio Pesto

Pesto in a white bowl with a white spoon and a plate of sourdough to the top left of it.

Incredibly delicious Pistachio Pesto made with a handful of simple, fresh ingredients in 5 minutes! A versatile sauce that tastes so much better than store-bought!

Course Appetizer, dinner

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 4

Blending 1

Total Time 5

Servings 2-tablespoon servings

Calories 97kcal

Author Kristi

Equipment

1 Food processor or blender

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves lightly packed
¼ cup pistachios raw or roasted or salted will work
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic fresh garlic
2 tablespoon lemon juice use fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
⅓ cup water use warm water
½ teaspoon salt sea salt or table salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. The garlic cloves should be closest to the blades and the basil leaves should be furthest from the blades before blending.
¼ cup pistachios, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, ⅓ cup water, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 2 cups fresh basil leaves
Blend until your desired consistency is reached.

Notes

Nutrition information is estimated based on a database that this owner is not responsible for maintaining. Exact nutrition information will depend on the actual ingredients and amounts used when making this recipe. And remember, there is so much more to food than what you will find on a nutrition facts label :)

This pesto might be a little gritty if you use a food processor to make it. You can always use an emersion blender to smooth it out.

If you prefer a thinner pesto, add up to one more tablespoon of water or olive oil per quarter of a cup of pesto and continue to blend until the texture is the way you like it.

The garlic cloves should be closest to the blades before blending. If you have an upright blender or food processor, add the garlic cloves first and the basil leaves last.

If you have a blender that uses a container that you turn upside down to blend, add the basil leaves first and the garlic cloves last.

Adding fresh lemon zest is optional. In my opinion, I didn't love the aftertaste of fresh lemon zest in this recipe, but if you don't mind it, add some!

I had a really hard time finding raw pistachios in my local grocery stores, so I tested this recipe with raw pistachios and with roasted and pistachios. I did notice a slight difference in color of the pesto but they both tasted great!

Nutrition