10-Minute Fresh Basil & Pistachio Pesto Sauce

Name: 10-Minute Fresh Basil & Pistachio Pesto Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 cups basil (4 oz. package); 1 small garlic clove; ⅓ cup pistachios; 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese; ¼ teaspoon salt; Pinch of pepper; ½ cup olive oil; Juice of 1 lemon

by Laney Schwartz on Jul 14, 2022 (updated Sep 5, 2023) 4 comments

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from 1 reviews

I’m know my dinner sauces — and this 10-minute fresh basil and pistachio nut pesto is the answer to every dinner dilemma! Whipped it up quickly and toss the flavorful sauce with pasta, spread the pesto on toast, or drizzle it over grilled meats or veggies. Recipe uses pistachio nuts instead of pine nuts, which is a subtle but delightful ingredient swap!

pesto on toast with tomato, burrata and microgreens on plate with knife

I love making simple homemade sauces and marinades, especially a green pesto like this 10-Minute Basil Pistachio Pesto Sauce at home. It’s such an easy way to dress up Weeknight Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Grilled Flank Steak, or to toss with pasta. And guess what else? It’s a homemade pesto with no pine nuts!

Since it can be made ahead of time, it’s great for weeknights or entertaining because it’s ready to go as soon as dinner is ready! You can also freeze pesto for up to 3 months, so if you have a lot of basil on hand this is a great one to make before it wilts and then store it for later.

I also love a classic Spinach Pesto or change it up with a Mint and Pea Pesto recipe!

basil, pistachios, lemons on cutting board

Ingredients in Basil Pistachio Pesto

This ingredient list is short, fresh, and flavorful. I love having Basil Pesto with pistachio nuts in the refrigerator ready to top Grilled Fish Packets or Broccoli Pasta. It comes in handy for adding tons of flavor way more often than you’d think!

Basil – This recipe calls for three cups, which is about one 4 oz. package. If there’s anyone reading this growing their own herbs, color me impressed! Your Basil Pistachio Pesto is going to be out of this world!
Garlic clove – I put one garlic clove in the recipe, but if you love garlic you can always add another clove.
Pistachios – A lot of pesto recipes call for pine nuts, but in this one I did pistachios! Similarly to pine nuts, they have a very mild and sweet flavor with a bit more texture. It just works!
Parmesan cheese – I always recommend getting the highest quality parmesan you can find! Freshly grated makes a big difference.
Salt and pepper – Start with just a pinch of each, and then taste and adjust as you’d prefer!
Olive oil – Like with parmesan, getting a higher-quality olive oil makes a difference in homemade dressings and sauces.
Lemon juice – A squeeze of lemon is my secret ingredient in most recipes! It doesn’t make the dish citrus-flavored; the bit of acidity just amplifies all of the other flavors in the pesto and elevates the whole dish.

How to Make Pesto

Making pesto is incredibly easy to do at home! If you have fresh basil, you absolutely have to make your own. You can use a food processor or blender to make Basil Pistachio Pesto, and it really is as simple as measuring ingredients.

Food photography by Ashley Cuoco