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Pasta With Pesto, Pistachio & Orange

Here's a quick and easy way to mix up your pasta game, creating a fresh taste with the unexpected addition of orange. A combination of pistachios and basil, along with rich garlic, blend with tangy orange for a deliciously healthy meal.
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound fresh pasta
  • 1 cup roasted pistachios shelled & chopped
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 orange zest & juice
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Zest half the orange finely.
  • Take a sharp knife and cut the peel off the remaining half an orange into spirals (you'll use these for garnish). Set aside for now.
  • Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
  • While it's cooking, combine half the pistachios, 3/4 cup of the fresh basil, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, orange juice and the finely grated orange zest (not the decorative spirals!) into a food processor and pulse until well combined. You can also use a mortar and pestle if you have it.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving about a cup of the liquid.
  • Toss the pasta and pistachio/basil mixture together, along with the remaining pistachio pieces, using the pasta liquid to thin it out as necessary.
  • Divide between four plates, and garnish with orange peel spirals along with the remaining fresh basil leaves.

Notes

Image by Bernadette Wurzinger (CC0C/Pixabay)
Keyword Oranges
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