Pistachio Pesto Pasta
Toss your favorite pasta in a super tasty pesto made with fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and pistachio. Done in under 30 min, it is the perfect dinner for busy weeknights.
Yield: 2
Calories: 1306kcal
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta (Note 1)
- 200 g pancetta , diced
- 20 cherry tomatoes , cut in haf
- ½ onion , minced or sliced
- ½ tsp paprika
Pesto:
- 100 g unsalted pistachio
- 30 g parmesan
- 5-6 basil leaves
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- a pinch of salt
- ground black pepper | to taste
- 120 ml starchy water from pasta
Instructions
- Cook the pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (follow package instructions). Just before draining, reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of pasta cooking water (this will help create a silky pesto sauce).
- Prepare the pancetta, tomatoes, and onion – While the pasta is cooking, cut the pancetta into cubes, halve the cherry tomatoes, and slice the onion.
- In a pan over medium-high heat, cook the pancetta for 3-4 minutes until crispy. Remove from the pan, but keep the rendered fat in the pan.
- In the same pan, add the sliced onion and paprika. Cook for 1 minute until softened, then add the cherry tomatoes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften.
- Make the pesto – In a food processor or blender, combine the pistachios, parmesan, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until the mixture is well combined but still slightly chunky.
- Add ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pesto and blend again until smooth.
- Assemble – Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the onions and tomatoes. Stir in the crispy pancetta and the pistachio pesto. If needed, add more reserved pasta water to achieve a silky texture.
- Garnish with extra pistachios and basil (optional).
Notes
- I used tortiglioni in this recipe but feel free to swap it out for any pasta you prefer!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 1306kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 83g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 954mg | Potassium: 1379mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1431IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 5mg
