Pistachio Pesto

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. When it boils, salt the water and add the pasta, cooking al dente, with a bite to it.

   Step 2

   Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the pistachios and toast for 5 minutes to develop their flavor. Remove the nuts from the pan and cool. Raise the heat a bit and return the pan to the stove. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO (twice around the pan), then the zucchini. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and continue to cook for 3 minutes more.

   Step 3

   While the zucchini cooks, grind half the nuts with the parsley, mint, and cheese in a food processor. Stream in about 1/3 cup of the EVOO and process until a paste forms, then season with salt and pepper.

   Step 4

   Drain the pasta. Add the pistachio pesto to the zucchini. Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat evenly, then toss in the remaining whole toasted nuts. Adjust the seasonings and grated cheese and transfer to a serving platter or plates. Pass more cheese at the table.

2. Tidbit

   Step 5

   The next three recipes are really unusual pestos (one of my favorite things!) and I eat so much of them, that all I serve with the pasta is a salad. Since I eat salad after dinner, it’s rare that I even save room for it! If you like, you can beef up the protein (pun intended) by serving any of these pastas with grilled lamb chops, beef tenderloin steaks, chicken breasts, or pork loin chops alongside. Simply marinate any of the meats in just enough balsamic vinegar to coat, a healthy drizzle of EVOO, and salt and pepper, then broil to the desired doneness. With the Pistachio Pesto, scrod or haddock broiled with lemon and EVOO is lovely.