This new pesto recipe will change your world! It’s made with pistachios, lemon, arugula, parsley and blended to smooth perfection that goes well with everything!
Have you ever tried something new (food of course) and knew that you were so in love that you had to recreate it immediately?! It happens to me quite often, I try something at a restaurant and I can’t stop thinking about it for days to come. I can’t help but try to figure out the recipe and make it at home, over and over.
This is exactly the feeling I got after trying an amazing new (to me) pesto at a fantastic beach-front restaurant last weekend. Hubs and I had a relaxing weekend at the beach and a wonderful dinner. They served a sampler of spreads with their bread and I fell head-over-hills in love with pistachio arugula pesto. I vowed to make it at home and I did!
Using pistachios in pesto was a genius idea and it was totally worth shelling the nuts for 30 minutes! I also believe that I improved this pesto a little by enhancing the citrus flavor of arugula with an addition of lemon zest and by adding creaminess to this pesto with Parmesan cheese.
Aahhhhh…heaven!
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Lemon Pistachio Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup of pistachios unsalted
- 2 cups of arugula packed
- 1/2 cup of fresh parsley
- Zest from 1/2 lemon
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2/3 cup grape seed oil more if you like your pesto thinner
- Salt
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Combine your dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
- Add oil and lemon juice and blend until completely mixed and smooth.
- Taste to see if you need more salt. Add more oil if desirable.
- Keep refrigerated, in an air-tight container.
Recipe Notes
Recipe from Lyuba @ willcookforsmiles.com All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to share this recipe, please simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
Check out these great recipes from other bloggers:
Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce from Joyful Healthy Eats
Homemade Enchilada Sauce from Kitchen Meets Girl
Homemade BBQ Sauce from I Heart Naptime
More Sauce Recipes From Me!
Classic Alfredo Sauce
Homemade Fresh Marinara Sauce
Hollandaise Sauce
Fresh Homemade Pesto
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Baby June
What a great idea! I love all the flavors in here–lemon + pistachio is one of my favorite combos! Will have to try this sometime this summer. 🙂
lyuba
Thank you so much, June!
Matt Robinson
This really is a genius idea, I can only imagine how good this tastes. So easy to make too, happening here for sure soon!
lyuba
Aww, thank you, Matt! Hope you like it!
marcie
I love the combination of this pesto — it sounds so light and refreshing! I’m going to have to try this. 🙂
lyuba
I hope you do, Marcie! Thank you!
Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen
Any kind of pesto is good in my book!!
lyuba
Thank you, Elizabeth!!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
Can’t wait to try it!! Every time I go into a restaurant I always look for something different. I love trying new recipes and new ways of preparing things. I love using grape oil — very neutral when you use it and it makes the other ingredients shine through.
lyuba
Grapeseed oil is my favorite! Thank you, Marisa!!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
I’m impressed you shelled all those pistachios. Granted I have definitely done that before because it’s so much cheaper to buy them in their shells. As for the pesto, I love experimenting with new versions. Sounds like yours was a success!
lyuba
Haha, yes, much cheaper and I didn’t see any shelled ones!
Thank you so much, Erin!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup
I do the same thing when I eat something delicious. I can’t stop thinking about it for days until I can come up with my own version. It’s really great when you can improve on it! This looks as good as you described it, and your pics are just beautiful, as usual. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
lyuba
Thank you so much, Heather! It sure was great!