This pesto pasta is a dish that Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of The Splendid Table and cookbook author, frequently made when her husband passed away. It’s as comfortable to create as it is to eat.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 35 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 3 large unpeeled cloves garlic
- 1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 pound dried linguine
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Pile in pistachios and pine nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until light brown and incredibly nutty-smelling, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.
- Add garlic to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until softened and browned in patches, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool.
- Peel cooled garlic and add to the food processor, along with basil, and process. With the blade still running, drizzle oil in through the chute. Once incorporated, transfer to a large bowl. Stir in salt, black pepper, and red pepper.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Reserve about 3/4 cup pasta water. Drain remaining water from pasta and give the colander a good shake or two.
- Add pasta and tomatoes to pesto. Give it all a good mix and drizzle in enough of the reserved pasta water to get the nutty pesto to coat the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- You can use a mix of spearmint, peppermint, and basil instead of just basil, and spaghetti instead of linguine.
- This is part of a special feature in our February-March 2022 magazine issue. See the magazine for more recipes!
Reviews
Easy to make and so delicious! I added one extra fresh clove of garlic (not browned/softened) along with the pan browned/softened garlic in the recipe as I wanted a stronger garlic flavor. Also used half of the salt and added extra cherry tomatoes. I heated all of the cherry tomatoes for a few minutes in a pan with a small amount of olive oil before adding them into the dish. It’s different than any other pesto I’ve made or eaten before. My whole family loved it. Will definitely make it again!!