Okay, so yesterday I decided to try making pistachio pesto. I saw a recipe online and thought, “Hey, that looks easy enough.” Famous last words, right?
First, I gathered all the ingredients. I grabbed some fresh basil – luckily, I had a decent amount growing in my little herb garden. Then I found the pistachios – those were a bit pricey, I gotta say! Got some garlic, Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not that pre-shredded dust), olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. The usual suspects.
I started by toasting the pistachios. I threw them in a dry pan over medium heat. I burnt a few, oops! Lesson learned: watch them closely. You just want them lightly toasted, not charcoal. Let them cool for a bit afterwards.
Next up, I minced the garlic. I really hate doing that, always get sticky fingers. I should invest in a garlic press, I guess. Then I roughly chopped the basil. I didn’t want to bruise it too much, you know?
Alright, time for the food processor! I dumped in the toasted pistachios, minced garlic, chopped basil, and grated Parmesan cheese. I added a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then I started pulsing. You know, those short bursts.
While the food processor was running, I slowly drizzled in the olive oil. I kept pulsing until everything was combined and relatively smooth. It was a bit chunkier than regular pesto, but that’s the pistachios for ya. I tasted it, and it needed more salt, so I added a pinch more. Always taste as you go!
Now, here’s where things got a bit interesting. The recipe said to add a little bit of pasta water to thin it out when you mix it with the pasta. Sounded smart, right? I cooked up some spaghetti (because, why not?), reserved some of that starchy water, and mixed it all together.
The final result? It was… okay. Not amazing, but not terrible either. The pistachio flavor was definitely there, which was cool. But it was a bit too oily, I think. Next time, I’ll use less olive oil and more pasta water to thin it out.
Overall, it was a fun experiment. I’d definitely make it again, but with a few tweaks. Maybe add a touch of red pepper flakes for a little kick? Who knows! Cooking is all about experimenting, right?
