Pistachio Pesto Sauce

Submitted by Chef #794726

"Great tasting sauce for pasta dishes or as a dipping sauce with corn chips, crackers or pita bread. This is a modified version of a pesto sauce made by Michael Chiarello for Pesto Smashed Potatoes. The basic changes I made were adding more garlic and substituting untoasted pistachios for the toasted pine nuts. Otherwise, the blanching and mixing are pretty much the same."

 

• Ready In: 6mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 4 cups of sauce
• Serves: 10

ingredients

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 2 cups fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons pistachio nuts (no shells of course)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

directions

1. In a large strainer, place the basil and parsley.
2. Blanch the herbs under boiling water in a large pot for 15 seconds.
3. Use a large serving spoon or a coffee mug or whatever you have to keep the parsley and basil completely under water for the whole 15 seconds.
4. Remove and immediately place in a large bowl of ice water to stop any cooking.
5. Squeeze out the excess water and loosely chop.
6. Place the the parsley and basil in a food processor with all of the other ingredients except for the olive oil.
7. Start to puree the ingredients as you slowly add the one cup of olive oil.
8. The whole dish takes five minutes to make plus the time it takes to boil the water.
9. Adjust any ingredients to your personal taste.