Pistachio Pesto

Makes about 1½ cups

3 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

2/3 cup shelled and roasted pistachios

3 cloves of garlic

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or Conestrato

½ to ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the basil, pistachios, garlic and Parmesan cheese in the food processor and pulse until a paste forms—nuts should be finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until pesto has the desired consistency. I like to leave it a little thick since it’s being mixed with cream or bechamel for the sauce.

Notes

--Pistachio pesto is a traditional Sicilian take on pesto made with pine nuts, so if you are lucky enough to live near a well-stocked Italian deli, look for Conestrato or Pecorino Siciliano as a substitute for Parmesan. Whatever you use, freshly grated cheese will have far better flavor than the kind in a plastic shaker.

--You can halve this recipe but it will be almost impossible to make it in a larger food processor with such small amounts for the ingredients. Fortunately, pesto can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. You can also put it in a small plastic tub with a thin layer of olive oil on top and freeze it for several months. I’ve used this latter method and had a taste of summer in January.

--Use this to make Pesto Spiral

Pesto Spiral--so delicious, even if you make it with pesto from a jar!