Pistachio Pesto Sauce: how to use it and how to pair it

Who hasn’t heard of traditional pesto? A few carefully selected ingredients, such as Genoese P.D.O. basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and pine nuts, combined to create a creamy and flavorsome sauce using a simple technique from which it takes its name: pestare, or in English, pounding.

However, this condiment has also inspired the creation of other pestos prepared using the same process of pounding the ingredients into a uniform sauce. First and foremost, pistachio pesto.

Its creamy texture and slightly sweet flavor make it a popular ingredient, perfect for enriching and adding character or creaminess to many different dishes.

It is always a good idea to have a jar of pistachio pesto sauce ready for use in the pantry because it can be used to turn an anonymous dish into an unforgettable one in a matter of seconds.

Recipes with ready-to-use pistachio pesto sauce: our inspiration

As with all simple things, the ingredients are the key to making a fragrant product. The pistachios must be good quality and used generously: Carli Pistachio Pesto Sauce, made of 40% pistachios together with olive oil and ricotta cheese, guarantees unparalleled flavor and creaminess.
Pistachios go well with different types of dishes and the texture of the pesto is the right mix of creaminess and crunchiness thanks to the little pieces of pistachio inside.
From pasta to risotto, from savory tarts to meat, ready-to-use pistachio pesto sauce is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many different ways. Let’s see how we can make optimum use of it in some of our favorite dishes.

First courses with pistachio pesto sauce: from pasta to risotto

The most popular pistachio pesto recipes are undoubtedly first courses: pasta with pistachio pesto sauce is already a finger-licking dish in itself but if you then add other ingredients such as king prawns, asparagus, broccoli or squash, the results are worthy of a top restaurant.
Lasagna is always a popular dish, especially when prepared in one of its many variations such as, for example, lasagna with pistachio pesto sauce and mortadella.

But it doesn’t just go well with pasta: in fact, because of its creaminess, pistachio pesto sauce can also be used to stir through a risotto, perhaps containing seafood, or added to a simple leek and potato velouté, just before serving, to give it some extra flavor and color.

Main courses with pistachio pesto sauce: roasts and fish

When it comes to mains, white meat goes beautifully with pistachio pesto sauce: you might decide to use it together with sliced meats like ham or mortadella as the filling of a roulade or as a sauce for garnishing a simple roast.
Even delicate fish like monkfish goes well with pistachio pesto sauce, especially when baked in foil, perhaps with some cherry tomatoes.

Starters with pistachio pesto sauce: vol-au-vents and sandwiches

Puff pastry is always a trusty ally in the kitchen, especially when it comes to starters or appetizers. Two quick and flavorsome ideas are puff pastry rolls with pistachio pesto sauce and rolled puff pastry breadsticks filled with pistachio pesto sauce and speck.

Pistachio pesto sauce can also be an alternative topping for sandwiches and bruschetta, and is excellent paired with tuna, grilled vegetables, such as zucchini, or diced cherry tomatoes.

Side dishes with pistachio pesto sauce: potatoes and grilled vegetables

How can you turn simple boiled potatoes into an amazing side dish? By adding pistachio pesto sauce! It is the ideal condiment for steamed or grilled vegetables and can be the “secret ingredient” in a super-creamy and original mash.
As we have demonstrated, pistachio pesto sauce goes well with many dishes. Its strengths, and the key to its versatility, are undoubtedly its delicate flavor, which enables it to be paired with a wide variety of ingredients, its creamy texture, able to combine with and embrace different consistencies, and its practicality, especially if you use the ready-made version. One only has to open a jar of Carli Pistachio Pesto Sauce to be overwhelmed by its enveloping flavor and goodness.