Yes, you may have seen pistachio pesto elsewhere but I contend that this stuff is highly personalizable.

That said, make sure you use GREAT pistachios with good flavor. I use salted roasted pistachios and then only add salt at the end so I don’t oversalt. I also try to only use nuts that I’ve just purchased because I’ve found pistachios lose flavor and color as they age on the counter. This is a brilliant green if you use fresh nuts and basil.

This dish always gets raves when I serve it as a dip for crackers or rustic bread. Feel free to play with it too. Some like more garlic but keep in mind, too much garlic will hide the other flavors.

SnarkyVegan’s Pistachio Pesto

  • 1  1/2 c. pistachios
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 big handful of fresh basil, I just throw the stems in and all since it’s being processed (more fiber for you omnis with plunger fetishes ;-)
  • scant 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice, to taste, if you’re not crazy about lemon juice, add just 2 T. first and go from there, keeps color and adds spunk
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1/2 c warm water
  • salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Grind the nuts and garlic in a processor until fine. Add basil, oil, lemon juice and water while processing until a stiff saucy consistency, not soupy. Scrape sides as needed. S&P as needed. Toss w pasta in bigass bowl. I garnish with quartered red cherry tomatoes. If you’re mixing with pasta, you may need a touch more salt than if you use it as a dip.

And that’s all my secrets you’re getting today. Yeah, I left one thing out on purpose!