Tag: pistachio
Dill and Pistachio Pesto
We were going to my cousin’s house for the weekend for a birthday celebration. She called to discuss the menu for the special dinner we were planning on cooking for the family. Since they live so close to the shore, we decided to cook seafood- salmon and scallops came to mind.
We decided to keep it simple and marinate the seafood in olive oil, lemon juice and salt. I began the thinking process for two sauces or pestos to serve with the main entrees. With the scallops I thought of a fruit chutney of some kind; and for the salmon, dill came to mind.
I came up with a dill and pistachio pesto for the fish. I roasted the pistachios and processed them with some garlic. I then added fresh chives and parsley. I used the parsley to bring some freshness to the pesto and to tone down the dill flavor. Like a regular pesto I added olive oil, cheese and some lemon juice. I prefer pecorino cheese, so I used it in here as well.
The pesto turned out absolutely delicious. It complemented the salmon really well. The dill flavor came through loud and clear but it was not over powering. The creamy pistachios were a perfect match with the dill and lemon flavor.
We cooked the salmon very simply in the oven and served the pesto on the side. It was a big hit with the scallops and the mango and nectarine chutney- will post the recipe soon.
- 1 cup pistachios, roasted
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
In a processor, add the pistachios and garlic. Process for 30 seconds. Add the dill and parsley. Start the processor and gradually drizzle the olive oil. Process till everything is incorporated. Take out in a bowl and add the salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and the pecorino cheese. Mix well and refrigerate.
Fresh Herbs and Pistachio Pesto served with Zucchini Pasta
Pesto (basil) symbolizes summer for me- the color, taste and smell is all warm weather goodness. I usually grow a lot of basil in the back yard to make abundant pesto and freeze for the winter. I am then able to use it year round- although it tastes best in the summer.
I love using basil pesto in pastas, salads and on meats. Of course, I also use it to make my super easy and fast meatballs. It is instant boost of flavor in any dish. It is definitely a staple in my fridge. I think my favorite way is to pair it with shrimp and pasta- the flavor of pesto and the crustaceans go fabulously well.
The other day my friend Nancy, called to tell me about a pistachio pesto she made for her family. She served it with pasta and zucchini. I had just been to the farmers market and bought some fabulous looking summer squash. I decided to make the pesto for a get together- I was planning on making a boneless leg of lamb. I thought I could make the pasta with grated zucchini and serve it to the kids- the rest I would add the pesto for the adults- perfect! I love when I come up with a fabulous menu.
Nancy emailed me the recipe and I made it with the fresh herbs growing in my backyard. I tweaked the recipe a bit- the original asked for parsley and mint- I added tarragon to the mix. I also switched the parmesan cheese with pecorino since it (pecorino) has a stronger flavor and I like it better. The last thing I added was lemon juice and zest- to give it an extra boost of goodness. The pesto was absolutely delicious! I used it all up in the pasta- I will definitely be making more soon to serve on top of salmon.
There are so many different ingredients to make pestos these days. I think the pistachio one is definitely going to be part of my repertoire. I am now motivated to research some other ones- possibly with sun dried tomatoes!