Vegan Pesto Pasta
When you think of pesto you may just always think of pine nuts, basil, cheese olive oil etc but actually the word pesto means ‘to crush’ and this got me thinking about the fact that you can change elements of the sauce and still have a delicious pesto.
Pine nuts are traditional for the original Italian basil pesto but I (and everyone else on the internet apparently) love pistachios so thought why not use pistachios instead.
Pistachios make a great pesto visually due to their bright colour and the flavour profile brings a nutty yet slightly earthy taste which works really well.
Pesto is so easy to make and always better than shop bought. If you have a blender and 5 minutes to spare you can whip this up with ease!
Here I’ve paired my homemade pesto with spaghetti and topped with some vegan parmesan but pesto can be used in sandwiches, salad dressings, as a dipping sauce or whatever you like really.
Something I love about pesto pasta is that it tastes great as a cold pesto pasta salad the next day- just mix in some protein and cooked veggies and store in the fridge for the next days lunch!
So give the traditional pesto a rest for now and give pistachio pesto a try- think of it as the younger, cooler version of basil pesto.
Ingredients you'll need to make pesto
- Pistachios- Salted or unsalted are fine. I buy deshelled pistachio for ease but you can also buy shelled at a better price and remove the shells yourself.
- Basil- Fresh basil is no negotiable for this pesto. If the basil flavor is too strong for you substitute half of the pesto for spinach leaves.
- Garlic- Fresh garlic is best but you can use dried garlic too, just use 1 tsp.
- Lemon- Lemon juice fresh or from a bottle are both fine.
- Vegan parmesan- I use a vegan parmesan to make a dairy free pesto. You can substitute this for nutritional yeast if you like.
- Extra virgin olive oil- Extra virgin olive oil is best for pesto but you can use a neutral oil if you prefer.
- Spaghetti- I love pesto with spaghetti but any pasta shape you like will be fine.
Removing pistachio skins
To get a more vibrant peso you'll need to remove the brow/purple skins from the pistachios leaving just the vibrant green inner nut. The best way to do this is to boil water in a saucepan and pop the nuts in for 60 seconds whilst the water is at a rolling boil. Then drain the nuts and place inside a clean dry tea towel and rub together to remove the skins. This step is optional and is only for aesthetics.
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Creamy pesto pasta
Pesto coats the pasta for a more drier pasta however if you'd like your pasta more saucy just add a few spoons of pasta water when stirring in the pesto. This will give you a more creamy pesto pasta.
Oil free pistachio pesto
Pesto is oil heavy which may not be ideal if you are looking for a low calorie option. You can replace the oil with extra lemon juice and water- keep blending and adding water little by little as you go. The pesto will be much less rich but the flavor will still be great.
Step by step in pictures
- Add the nuts and blitz
- Add the vegan parmesan, garlic and salt and blitz
- Add the basil and blitz
- Add oil and lemon juice and blitz
- Your pesto is finished
- Cook the pasta
- To a pan add the pesto
- Add the cooked pasta
- Mix well on low heat until pasta is coated
Pistachio pesto pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g Spaghetti
- 40 g raw pistachios
- Handful of basil leafs
- 1 Large garlic clove
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 40 g Vegan parmesan
- 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the pistachios to the food processor and blitz into a breadcrumb size.
- Next add the vegan parmesan, garlic and salt and blitz again.
- Scrape down the sides and add the basil, pulse a few times.
- Add the lemon juice and olive oil and blend, scraping down the sides until combined.
- Cook the pasta to packet instructions and drain.
- Mix together the pasta and pesto in a pan on a low heat until the pasta is coated.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- I used a mini food processor which i recommend for a small batch of pesto.
- The amount of olive oil is a guide- you may need more or less depending on the consistency you want the pesto.
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One response to “Pistachio Pesto Pasta”
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I love the idea that ‘pesto’ literally means ‘to crush,’ which completely opens up the world for creative swaps like this pistachio twist. The suggestion of using spinach to dial down the basil intensity if it’s too strong is such a practical tip for balancing the flavor profile. It’s also smart that you mention how well it holds up as a cold salad the next day, which makes it a perfect meal prep solution.
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