Thai Basil Pesto

@groovyfoodiess If you haven’t tried Thai basil, think of it as Italian basil’s spicier and more aromatic cousin. It has a tangy, slightly licorice-y flavor and gorgeous purple stems. One of my favorite meals from my recent trip to Italy was a pistachio pesto pasta with whole crushed pistachios on top, and I had to give it a go here. 100/10 you need to try this, I promise it’ll be unlike any pasta you’ve had before.

INGREDIENTS

-2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, packed

-5 cloves garlic

-¼ cup unsalted toasted pistachios, plus 3 Tbsp, crushed, for garnish

-2 Tbsp lemon juice

-¼ cup plus 5 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided

-1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for boiling.

-1 tsp sugar

-¼–½ cup olive oil

-100 grams fresh pasta of choice

-½ cup halved cherry tomatoes

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Thai basil leaves, garlic, whole pistachios, ¼ cup Parmesan, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and olive oil to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente, then drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

3. In a large pan on medium heat, blister the cherry tomatoes for about 3 minutes, then add the drained pasta. Pour in the pesto, gently smashing the tomatoes with a spatula or wooden spoon until they burst. Add a few splashes of the pasta water and stir until the sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta.

4. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining 5 tablespoons of Parmesan and the crushed pistachios.

5. Enjoy!