Although I’ve read about and prepared many variations of classic Italian pesto, I was intrigued by a version that called for pistachios and fresh mint that I spotted last year in a French culinary magazine. After tagging the recipe, I somehow never got around to trying it. Fast forward to this summer when my herb garden is overflowing with mint. That recipe tucked away in my “to do” files immediately came to mind and turned out to be a delicious alternative to the Italian original.
Along with torn mint leaves and toasted pistachios, the pesto ingredients included Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, and a substantial addition of lemon juice. The latter was an especially good complement to the fresh mint. This pesto can be paired with short pastas, such as penne, rigatoni, and farfalle, or you can try it with long ones, including fettuccine, linguine, and spaghetti.
For a simple summer supper, serve this Penne with Pistachio and Mint Pesto in bowls topped with grated Parmigiano and lemon zest. Add a salad of crispy green leaf lettuce, sliced Belgian endive, and cherry tomatoes tossed in a white wine vinaigrette, plus a warm crusty baguette to round out the menu.
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Penne with Pistachio and Mint Pesto
3/4 cup pistachios, roasted and preferably unsalted
1 1/2 cups torn mint leaves plus 4 to 6 mint sprigs for garnish
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest for the garnish
6 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano, plus 1/4 cup extra for garnish
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Kosher salt
1 pd penne or other short pasta such as rigatoni or long pasta such as fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti
2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
Freshly ground black pepper
1.Place the pistachios, torn mint leaves, lemon juice, olive oil, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and garlic cloves in a food processor. Process, pulsing several times, until the mixture is well combined and pureed, a minute or so. If mixture is very thick, thin with one to two tablespoons of water. Taste and season with salt if needed. Set aside. (Pesto can be prepared 5 hours ahead. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before using.)
2.Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add 1 tablespoon of salt and the penne. Cook according to package directions until pasta is al dente, or just tender to the bite. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and then drain the pasta in a colander and return it to the pot in which it was cooked. Add the diced butter to the pasta in the pot and stir until melted. Then add the pesto and stir until well combined. Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons (or more) of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to lighten the dish. Taste pasta and season with more salt if needed and with several grinds of black pepper.
3.Serve the pasta in four shallow bowls and sprinkle each serving with grated Parmesan and lemon zest. Garnish each portion with a mint sprig.
Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a side dish
Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2024
