Though the almond and tomato pesto Trapanese is what springs to mind when thinking of traditional pestos hailing from Sicily, pistachios also grow in abundance on the island and can give the flavours of Ligurian pesto a unique, southern Italian twist.
Swapping pistachios for pine nuts, including pecorino instead of Parmigiano and adding in a touch of parsley alongside the basil, this pesto is just as simple to make as the traditional Genovese kind and it’s absolutely divine – whether you use it as a pasta sauce, spread it on crostini or swirl it into a creamy dip.
How to Make Pistachio Pesto
Making pesto is incredibly easy no matter how you do about it. But the first step is toasting the pistachios, which is super necessary as it really amplifies the flavour.
All you need to do is add your shelled pistachios to a rimmed baking sheet and put them in a 180°C/350°F for about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, add some roughly chopped garlic, pecorino Romano cheese and your toasted nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until everything is finely chopped.
If you don’t have a food processor or can’t be bothered using one, you can absolutely make this by hand.
You can simply follow the exact same steps I outline in my recipe for pesto without a food processor.
Once the nuts are chopped, add in your basil and parsley. Then, pulse a few more times to break up the herbs.
Now, with the machine running, slowly stream in some nice extra virgin olive oil. Once that’s all incorporated, you can go ahead and taste the pesto to adjust for seasoning and add some salt and pepper if you think it’s needed.
And that’s it! You can go ahead and enjoy this pesto in whatever way you’d like. If fact, you can use it in liew of the pesto recipe have outlined in my pesto pasta recipe – it will be absolutely dreamy!
Sicilian Pistachio Pesto
Ingredients
- 100 g (¾ cup) shelled pistachios
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 30 g (⅓ cup) Pecorino Romano cheese roughly chopped
- 50 g (2 cups) basil
- 20 g (⅓ cup) flat-leaf parsley
- 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the pistachios to a rimmed baking tray and toast in the oven until fragrant and slightly darkened – about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the toasted pistachios, garlic and pecorino cheese to the bowl of a food processor (see note 1). Pulse a few times, just until the pistachios and garlic are finely chopped and the cheese is finely grated.
- Add the basil and parsley and pulse until mostly broken up – 5-7 times.
- With the machine running, slowly stream in the olive oil and mix until emulsified. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- If you do not have a food processor, this pesto can be made by hand following the same method outlined in my recipe for handmade pesto
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This Sicilian-style basil pistachio pesto is super simple to make and delicious to eat. Though slightly different from its Northern Italian counterpart, it is no less tasty or easy to throw together!
Are you after a unique recipe for pesto? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
