These pistachio pesto pasta with burrata cheese make a simple yet audacious weeknight meal. With just a little twist to your classic pesto sauce recipe, this version with pistachios offers some extra crunchiness, with a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Top with soft and fresh burrata. Amazing!
I’m calling all pasta lovers out there! If you loved my lemon butter pasta with burrata (and I know you did), you will probably fall for this pistachio pesto pasta too. Both recipes feature an interesting contrast of textures and flavors, are loaded with refreshing flavors, and are highly addictive.
This pasta dish features a homemade pistachio pesto, prepared with toasted and lightly salty pistachios. Ready within seconds in a food processor, it’s a great alternative to your classic pesto recipe prepared with pine nuts. The pistachio pesto pasta come with fresh burrata cheese and extra grated parmesan. It makes a great vegetarian meal that packs a punch of flavors!
Why you’ll love pistachio pesto pasta
- Easy weeknight meal ✔
- Ready within 30 minutes ✔
- Vegetarian ✔
- A great alternative to the classic pesto ✔
- Perfect contrast of textures and flavors ✔
- Can be served warm or cold ✔
How to make pistachio pesto pasta?
- Pulse pistachios and garlic a few times in a food processor, until chopped. Add the basil leaves and pulse a few more times, until combined. Stream in the olive oil and process until smooth. Open the food processor and remove the blade, then add the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and stir.
- Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Then, add ¼ cup of this pasta water back into the pot with your pesto, and stir to thin the pesto.
- Toss in the cooked pasta, and mix until the pistachio pesto thoroughly coats it. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and enjoy with the fresh burrata and extra toppings!
Tips to success:
- Pulse, do not blend. Be sure to use the pulse function of your food processor or blender, especially when chopping the fresh basil leaves. This will keep it a fresh green color.
- Reserve some pasta water. This is the secret to making a juicy pesto pasta without adding tons of extra oil. Reserve about ¼ cup of the starchy cooking liquid before draining, then drain the pasta and toss with the cooking water and olive oil.
- Use a fruity olive oil for the lightest flavors.
- Do not heat the pesto before adding to the pasta. Pistachio pesto, like any other pesto, is not meant to be heated as it will turn color and lose its vibrancy. The heat from the pasta is enough to warm the pesto through.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Make sure you taste and adjust the seasoning with freshly ground black pepper and salt before serving.
FAQs:
- Which pasta should I use? I used linguine in this recipe, but you can basically use any pasta you want, from spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, pappardelle, fusilli, farfalle, etc.
- How much pesto should I use? It’s really up to you. To make sure the pasta is well-coated with the pesto, I recommend about 1 pound (450g) of pasta and 1 cup (240g) of homemade pesto, sometimes more.
- Can I enjoy this pasta dish cold? Absolutely! You can make a pasta salad out of this pistachio pesto pasta. To do so, I recommend using penne or any other short pasta, and add some fresh veggies, such as cucumber and cherry tomatoes. It makes a perfect lunch on the go!
Variations around the recipe
Like for any pasta recipe, it’s easy to twist here and there, depending on what you have at hands. This pistachio pasta dish with burrata will be delicious with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes. You can also add steamed broccoli or asparagus, or sautéed zucchini. If you are flexitarian, you can occasionally serve it with shrimps! Oh, and I would definitely recommend a glass of white wine to pair with the dish!
More pasta recipes you’ll love:
- Lemon Butter Pasta with Burrata Cheese
- Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Chickpeas
- Mushroom Pasta with Walnut Pesto
Other pasta sauce recipes:
Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Burrata Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Savory
- Diet: Vegetarian
These pistachio pesto pasta with burrata cheese make a simple yet audacious weeknight meal. With just a little twist to your classic pesto sauce recipe, this version with pistachios offers some extra crunchiness, with a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Top with soft and fresh burrata. Amazing!
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) spaghetti or other pasta of choice*
- ¼ cup (40g) pistachios, toasted and lightly salted** (+ extra for serving)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups (500 ml) fresh basil, packed (+ extra for serving)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (25g) parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1–2 ball(s) of burrata cheese***
Instructions
- For the pistachio pesto, add pistachio and garlic to a food processor. Pulse a few times, until chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the fresh basil an pulse a few more times, until finely chopped. Stream in the olive oil and process until smooth. Open the food processor, remove the blade, and stir in the grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and return to the pot, off the heat.
- Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of the pasta water back into the pot with the pesto, and stir to thin the pesto. Toss in the cooked pasta, and mix until the pistachio pesto thoroughly coats it. Serve with torn burrata*** here and there, add extra toasted pistachios and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
* My favorite pasta to coat with pesto are spaghetti, linguine, penne, and rigatoni.
** I like to use ready-to-use toasted and lightly salted pistachio in this recipe. If you use raw pistachio, you can toast them in a non-stick frying pan with no oil for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan often to prevent from burning. Remember to taste and adjust the seasoning, whether the pistachios are already salted or not.
*** For budget reasons, you can substitute the burrata cheese (which is very expensive) with mozzarella cheese instead. Choose it as fresh as possible.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Burrata Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
